Preeminent Rising
by Kira Vulpes
Summary: In the wake of Garmadon's banishment after S4, Pythor has a plan to reunite the former dark lord with his family. But nothing is ever as simple as it appears, and soon Pythor and the ninja find themselves in a web of conspiracies far greater than they could imagine…Set through Shadow of Ronin and S5; will feature several characters from the series—including a very human Preeminent.
1. Cloudy with a Chance of Reflection

**_Preeminent Rising_**

Author's Note: I have been long overdue to write a Ninjago story... This starts immediately after season 4 and will keep going from there. I plan to follow the main show's story line, but smooth out some plot holes and add a few elements of my own too. Several characters from the show will also make their appearance later on, including the main ninja, Ronin, Morro, Garmadon, Clouse, Chen, Shade, Soul Archer, and Nya. Happy reading!

**Ninjago in all its glory belongs to the Hageman brothers and LEGO. Cover art belongs to me.**

* * *

 **Prologue**

Chen's forces were fleeing before the Anacondrai generals, who methodically chased each one down and lifted the struggling figure to the Cursed Realm. They – no, _Garmadon_ – had done it. The battle was won. But at what cost?

For the ninja had not just lost their sensei or Lloyd his father –something else had left the Cursed Realm beyond the generals.

* * *

 _Freedom._

The thought was almost as sweet as the fresh Ninjagan air he breathed. Sights, scents, and sounds that had begun to fade from his memory assaulted his senses. It was… overwhelming. It was… intoxicating. It was… _freeing_. He was _released_. He was…

"Morro!"

The name—his name—slipped from his lips, born from the exuberance of the moment. Part of him wanted to race across the land, reacquainting himself with all he'd lost since he'd been Cursed. But he couldn't afford to dally; he had a duty to fulfill. Only then would his freedom last.

The Preeminent must escape the Cursed Realm.

* * *

 **Chapter 1:** _Cloudy with a Chance of Reflection_

Giant, white, fluffy clouds floated across a clear blue sky, dwarfing the lone Anacondrai seated beneath them. Pythor enjoyed watching the clouds—strange, for he'd never wasted time on such idle fancies before. But this wasn't simply idling: the former Serpentine King and Overlord's servant found the clouds helped his thinking.

Yes, _thinking_ , not plotting. Too much had changed in the past few weeks for him to have any clear sense of direction: being captured by those presumptuous imposters, allying himself with the ninja—a longtime foe, no less!—realizing he was the last Anacondrai…

That final point proved the most troublesome. He, Pythor P. Chumsworth, was the remaining one of his kind. Somehow, the other Serpentine had emerged unscathed from their imprisonment, but the Anacondrai had dwindled, faded. And now, without the distraction of a new plan or predicament or even prison, that disturbing reality was finally setting in.

The clouds and—whenever he sat outside at night—stars comforted him with their distant, eternal stability. Beneath them, death stalked the land, affecting all with an equal hand. Rather than feel insignificant when faced with the vastness of the sky, though, he felt at peace. Or at least distracted enough not to feel the fear lurking in the dark corners of his mind.

What did it mean, to be the last of your species? Would he be eventually trapped in a large glass room for all to look at in wonder? Or, worse, subject to numerous studies as scientists raced to determine what final medicinal secrets could be gleaned from his scales or blood?

Perhaps he could turn this to his advantage: he could contract one of those nature shows and go hide in some remote forest, leaving pre-arranged clues for the host to follow before eventually allowing a glimpse of himself in the last segment of the episode. If he played his cards right, he could work with multiple programs, negotiate multiple "unique" clues, and make a killing in profits. He just needed a good agent first.

Ah, who was he kidding? What would he do with all that money—invest it in Wu's academy or proposed tea shop? Secretly fund criminal groups to make life more interesting for the ninja? Donate to an orphanage?

And there was that bedeviled fear raising its cursed head at last: he did not want to be alone. Even Wu, who'd never settled down, shared a bond with his young students. That was part of the reason Pythor had taken to cloud-watching more. It distanced him from the constant, often painful reminder of what he lacked. It was all the more vexing since he wasn't one for self-pity.

What if he endeavored to make peace with the ninja and become not a part of their team but...perhaps a more consistent ally? It certainly offered more appeal than repairing all the burned bridges with the Serpentine. Or embarking on a solo travels in hopes of stumbling upon someone who could tolerate his presence. _Hmmph. I must be getting old if I'm that willing to settle for a mob of incorrigible young adults rather than face a new challenge._ Of course, he already had a history with said young adults— _Oh yes, repeated conspiracy against them, unleashing a creature with apocalyptic inclinations on Ninjago, helping their greatest enemy regain a physical_ _form through capturing Lloyd and brutally draining his powers, no less, and_ _forcing Garmadon to be banished to the Cursed Realm._ True, the ninja have given him a small house to live in not too far from their place, but to equate that with acceptance? Ha! He'd be a naïve fool to do so.

Yet Lloyd was remarkably naïve. Pythor's lips twitched into the faintest hint of a smile as he remembered their first meeting: Lloyd a young, trusting child utterly unaware of Pythor's temptation to eat him. Pythor, of course, would not have done such a thing. That sort of thinking had gotten his fellow Anacondrai into trouble in their tomb—he repressed a brief shudder—and he was not one to drop his standards. Though, he reflected grimly, it hadn't all been about standards. As one of the few Anacondrai who had remained certain they would escape one day, he had refused to participate in the demise of his friends as their situation became desperate. He hadn't wanted any guilt upon his eventual release. But images of the virus outbreak and the madness that followed still haunted him…

Solitary confinement can do strange things to one's head if left long enough. For Pythor, meditating in a state of half-hibernation, it had conjured dreams of revenge. Revenge on the Aboveworlders responsible for the horrible fate the Anacondrai had met—and a desire to inflict the same pain. That thought had sustained him for years, all his grief converted into rage and sharpened through cunning. Revenge had helped him survive after the Great Devourer, too.

But now, with revenge no longer fueling him, he felt… adrift. Like a branch floating in a current, stars wandering in the sky. Clouds detached from the world below them.

That was why, in an irony not lost on him, he wanted to help Lloyd. He may have been naïve, but his world had been turned on end too many times. And, Pythor had to admit, he liked the boy. He caught glimpses of himself in Lloyd, and he knew the dangers grief and helplessness could bring. Not to mention that the simple praise from the Anacondrai generals had made him feel… good. Proud, even. It would be a different sort of goal to work towards, but this challenge Pythor welcomed. As a further bonus, if he could win Lloyd over, the other ninja would follow. He would gain acceptance; perhaps, if not friends, than allies who could be trusted; and maybe, just maybe, have a more lasting solution to deal with his fears and uncertainties of the future.

He had quite missed scheming. It was time to get his head out of the clouds and back to reality.

* * *

A/N: Getting into Pythor's head was much easier (and fun) than I had expected... Keep an eye out for chapter 2 later this month. Reviews and feedback in general are greatly encouraged!


	2. Little Lies

**Chapter 2:** _Little Lies_

A/N: And here is the next chapter! A big thank you to those who've reviewed, faved, and/or followed thus far! :)

* * *

No matter how many times Misako had done the ninjas' laundry the past few weeks, there always seemed to be an odd number of socks. It had annoyed her at first, but now she accepted that at least one would be left out.

Alone. Deprived of its only match.

An irritated sigh escaped Misako's lips. The whole point of burying herself in mindless domestic chores was to divert her focus from the ever-present ache in her heart since Garmadon's banishment. She'd single-handedly tackled laundry, dishes, cleaning bathrooms, and a host of other activities involved in the monastery's upkeep. And yet, even that had its limits.

She reached for a towel, deftly matching the corners in a perfect fold. All this practice had its benefits: Zane had some stiff competition now. It was good to have him back, at least. One less hardship for Lloyd and his friends to deal with.

She had always been drawn to Garmadon, long before the letter. True, she preferred darker–haired men, but that hadn't been the reason: As she'd gotten to know the brothers better and learned of Garmadon's curse, she realized how hard he was fighting the poison, trying to delay its effects. It was a rare kind of determination. Even before then, she had enjoyed his sense of sarcasm, his sharp mind. His smile…

The towels were folded now. All that remained were the sheet sets. Even though it would be easier to ask for help with the sheets, Misako had gotten the hang of folding them herself. As she spread a sheet over her bed to smooth it out, another memory pushed into her thoughts. It had been not too long after her marriage. Garmadon, after walking into the laundry room to find her busy folding, had insisted on finishing the last item, their bedsheet, for her. She had obliged him… and hadn't been able to stop laughing as he struggled to align the edges. Finally, after a muttered "to the Underworld with this!", he tried one last time—and ended up tangled in the sheets on the floor. She couldn't help him for several minutes, she was laughing so hard.

The sheets now in her hands blurred as the weight of her grief smashed through her fragile dam, and she sank into its waves.

* * *

Lloyd wandered through the halls of the monastery, a small tray laden with fresh bread, soup, and tea in hand. Misako had missed lunch, and he wanted to check on her. So far, he had investigated the terrace his mom sometimes enjoyed watching the land around the monastery from, a couple of the bathrooms, and the laundry room. Suspiciously enough, all the clothes from the past two days of training were gone from the communal laundry basket, along with he and Jay's sheets.

He was heading to his room, thinking he'd find his mom making his bed—he still hadn't grown used to that; Sensei Wu generally made the ninja do their own chores—when he heard muffled sobs from Misako's room.

He hesitated at her door. How was he supposed to comfort her? _Hey, Mom, don't be upset; at least Dad's still alive…right?_ Or, _Tell me some stories about Dad so I can miss him more_. One day, their stories would keep Garmadon's memory alive, but for now, the wound was still too raw.

Lloyd shook his head at his indecision. This was his mom, and she needed him. He eased the door open.

Misako knelt beside her bed, glasses on the floor and head buried in her hands. Lloyd's half-folded bedsheet lay over the bed's comforter, several towels and articles of clothing stacked neatly on the pillow. "Mom?"

Her head shot up, face tear-streaked and blotchy. "Oh…Lloyd. I didn't hear…" She sniffed loudly, wiping her hands across her eyes. "Come in."

He closed the door and set the tray on a small table before sitting next to her. "I brought you some lunch."

"Thank you."

"So." How long had she been crying? Why hadn't he kept a closer eye on her? "Getting caught up on laundry, I see. You're going to spoil the guys. They'll never want to take responsibility for their dirty uniforms again."

"We have to keep Wu on his feet somehow," she managed.

"Yep, I'm sure he appreciates that. He'll have to devise new punishments for us."

"Perish the thought."

"Keep this up, and you'll get asked for autographs instead of us. 'Oh, you must be the one who keeps the ninja on track. Wu may train them, but he's not the one doing their laundry—you're the real hero!'"

His mom managed a small smile at that. "Garmadon is the real hero."

"Yeah," Lloyd agreed, dropping all pretense of lightness. "Yeah, he is."

They were quiet for a moment, Garmadon's absence heavy in both their minds.

Misako broke the silence first. "Do you think we're cursed?"

Lloyd looked at her in surprise. "What?"

"Sometimes I wonder if this family is cursed. The Great Devourer's venom. The prophecy tearing our family apart. The Overlord returning, controlling Wu, torturing you. Chen luring you to his island. And now this—" she spread her hands "—this Curse! Tearing your father, my husband away from us for… for good." The last words came out in a faltered whisper.

Hearing the pain in his mother's voice and seeing the helplessness, frustration, and misery in her eyes almost broke the composure Lloyd had worked hard these past few weeks to maintain. _Keep it together._ He forced back the tears prickling the corner of his eyes. _Mom needs you to be strong. She has enough to deal with as is._

It wasn't that he didn't miss Garmadon—every day it was as if someone had knocked the breath from his lungs in a vicious blow that he still reeled from. And he had quickly mastered the art of silent crying when the darkness of night transformed the skulking shock and pain and fear into a terrifying, all-consuming black hole. But he knew that if he allowed himself to collapse now, it would only compound Misako's feelings. He wasn't sure how much more she could tolerate, and he had no wish to find out. He was the man of the family now, and though at times he wanted nothing more than to curl into her arms and cry, he couldn't afford to think about himself.

It was times like these that he missed being a candy-crazed kid at Darkley's.

"Dad's still alive," he finally replied. "And cursed or not, there's still a lot of good we can do to honor him. So we can't give up. Not ever."

"Ninja never quit," Misako murmured in agreement. "But I'm not a ninja. I'm a scholar." She let out a deep sigh, looking toward her room's window. "Lloyd… would you be… _angry_ if I left again for a bit?"

"What?" What was it with her catching him off guard today? How long had she been thinking about _that_? "Where would you go?"

"I have some old friends back from my days at the university. They frequently work on archaeological excavations and have a standing offer for me to help them. It's been a while since I last took them up on it. I could use a change of scenery, I think. The work's more involved and I'll actually be doing some good. I want to be here for you, Lloyd, but right now I think I'm just…burdening you." She hesitated. "Do you think it's selfish of me?"

He met her eyes. "No, that makes sense. I think it would be really good for you." _But I really want you to stay._ "You need this. Just keep in touch, will you?"

"You sure you'll be okay?"

"Yes, Mom, I'll be fine." He forced a smile. _You're all that's left—do you have to go?_

Misako studied him for a long moment, then drew him into a tight hug. "I'll call every week. If you need me, don't hesitate to tell me to march myself right back here though. Promise?"

 _I need you now, Mom_. "Promise."

* * *

A/N: Hmm, maybe ending on a somewhat depressing note right as we kick off the holiday season isn't quite the best approach? Guess that means I should post another chapter before Christmas. This next one will be longer, end on a lighter note, and feature Pythor again. If he had it his way, though, I think this whole story would be about our Anacondrai friend. Fortunately, I have too many characters I like and too much of the plot worked out for that to happen... Anyway, hope you've enjoyed this so far!


	3. Training and Tea

**Chapter 3:** _Training and Tea_

A/N: So maybe this chapter didn't appear by Christmas, but hopefully there's enough lingering holiday cheer to make up for it? Happy New Year everyone!

* * *

"Alright, Green Ninja! Let's see what you've got!"

They were training again. To Lloyd, it seemed as though Sensei Wu was determined not to have the team fall apart as they had when Zane had gone. Yet unlike Zane, although Garmadon had served as their sensei for a little while, he wasn't a core member of the ninja. They didn't need him in order to remain a functioning unit. No, it wasn't the ninja who needed watching, Lloyd reflected. It was…

Himself.

Cole stood in an opening stance, hands raised in front of him. Wu had instructed them to spar without using their elemental powers for a few weeks to ensure they maintained their form. Lloyd breathed deeply and rolled his neck, trying to regain his focus and some semblance of a center. He circled Cole slowly, keeping his pacing steady, even, measured, predictable… And then he leapt forward on the attack. Cole staggered backward from Lloyd's impact, caught unawares by his younger opponent for a moment. But he recovered quickly, and soon the two were fighting in a more familiar rhythm of striking, blocking, counterattacking, and dodging.

Misako had left a week ago. It bothered Lloyd how much it affected him, how much he had, often unconsciously, relied on his mom for support. Just knowing there was someone else who felt the loss of Garmadon as much as, if not more than, himself had made a surprising difference. And even though Wu was family, it wasn't the same. Lloyd had stopped viewing him as a father figure after his own father had been freed of the Overlord. But even that wasn't the problem. It was that stupid letter. If Garmadon hadn't been Cursed, Lloyd suspected the two would've talked it out and reached an understanding. But now they didn't have that chance and Lloyd had no idea how his uncle felt. Angry and betrayed, no doubt, but was his uncle angry enough to be glad Garmadon was gone?

No, nothing about this situation was fair, and Lloyd hated every bit of it.

It was that anger, that frustration that he tapped into now, letting it fuel his blows and sharpen his senses. Lloyd darted past Cole's block, sending his fist slamming into the corded muscle of Cole's chest. For the second time that day, Cole stumbled from the impact, gasping as air forcefully left his lungs. He bent over, hands on his knees. "Whoa…kid! You're…getting good!"

For a split second, Lloyd wanted to follow through with his advantage and rain blows on Cole until the latter conceded defeat. He wanted to inflict the same feelings of pain and impotency that he felt, continue this strangely enjoyable form of release. But those very impulses shocked him into stillness. _This is Cole, my friend! What…What's wrong with me?_

"Lloyd? Are you okay?" Kai's voice. He must've finished his round with Jay. The ninja of fire came over to Lloyd, concern etched on his face. "You're shaking."

Lloyd glanced down. Sure enough, his hands—and the rest of his body—were shaking of their own accord.

"C'mon, let's get you inside." Kai put his arm around Lloyd's shoulders, gently guiding him towards the monastery.

"Sorry, Lloyd," Cole called after them. "I thought you knew I was ripped!"

Silence greeted his words for a moment until Jay burst out laughing. "That was great, Cole! You beat me for once!"

"Once? I've got more points that that!"

"Who's counting?" Jay countered between chuckles.

"I'm not sure I understand," interrupted Zane.

"Cole here has a lot of muscles to his chest, and Lloyd punched him pretty hard. So naturally the impact is what Lloyd is feeling right now."

"But that—"

"Is a joke," Cole finished. "C'mon Zane. I thought you reprogrammed yourself to have a sense of humor!"

"To an extent, but clearly I still need to learn the finer points…"

Their voices faded as Kai and Lloyd entered the monastery. "It's good to hear Jay and Cole back to normal again," Kai commented.

Lloyd nodded as he followed Kai to the kitchen, where Kai set to making tea for the both of them. "Sensei only said we couldn't use our powers for sparring," he said in a conspiratorial tone, using his flames to heat a cup. Lloyd accepted the cup and blew on the now steaming liquid. Kai fixed his own tea and moved to the living room with its more comfortable seating.

"You wanna talk?" Kai asked after the two had gotten settled.

Lloyd raised his eyebrows, unsure if he trusted himself to speak. "About?"

"Garmadon's banished. Your mom just left. And you've been quieter than Jay since that time Cole's cooking made his mouth get stuck shut." He paused. "True story, by the way. Actually, it was all our mouths. It happened before we realized just how bad a cook Cole was. But seriously. I'm here if you want to talk. We all are—we may not be your dad, but we're your family too. Your brothers. And… I get it, you know. About losing your father. You didn't forget I started that club, did you?"

Actually, Lloyd had. How stupid, to let grief cloud all other concerns but his own. "It's… hard," he whispered. "Really hard. I miss him so much, sometimes it's like a… a physical pain. And I don't know how to fix it." Kai's expression was empathetic, his focus on Lloyd but echoes of his own loss in his eyes. Blast him, _blast_ him for being so easy to talk to! Because now that the words had started, he couldn't shut up even if he tried. "I'm supposed to be the Green Ninja, the Chosen One. But how am I going to help others and keep saving Ninjago when I couldn't even save my own dad or find some other way to stop Chen? I can't be a hero like this!"

"Sure you can." Kai sipped his tea. "One, you already are a hero, like it or not. All of us are. Two, every hero has internal struggles. At least the good ones, anyway."

"Yeah, well…" Lloyd stared at his own cup. "When I was at Darkley's I only wanted to see my dad again, just get to spend some time with him. But now it's worse because I know it's impossible. Yet there's still this part of me that expects to see him materialize around a corner any moment now. He came back from the Underworld and being possessed from the Overlord, so what's one more impossible task, you know? Except…this time's different. So why can't I accept that?" He could feel his eyes moistening. _No, not now!_ But his treacherous body ignored him this time, and tears forced their way down his face. "Why can't I have my dad back?"

Kai opened his mouth to reply, but stopped at the sound of approaching footsteps. Lloyd hastily wiped his eyes and focused on his tea.

"I thought I smelled tea." It was Sensei Wu. "You wouldn't happen to have enough for another cup, would you?"

"Eh, sorry, Sensei. I only made enough for two."

From the corner of his eye, Lloyd saw Wu peering around the room. "You didn't use the kettle, did you?"

Kai shifted uncomfortably under his teacher's gaze. "I—"

"No excuses! You either make the tea right or not at all. Otherwise you lose part of the flavor, its very essence. But something tells me you're not sitting here for a pitiful attempt at tea, are you?" He glanced pointedly at Lloyd.

"It's fine, Uncle," Lloyd sighed, raising his head to meet the older man's gaze.

"No, it's not fine. I should have talked to you sooner."

Kai slid out of his chair. "I'll put a pot on for you, Sensei," he excused himself.

Wu waited until Kai had left before continuing. "I know Garmadon's absence is affecting us all. It's been difficult. But I think Misako had the right idea. Getting out of this stuffy monastery might be what you need to regain your balance. You need to find out who you are with your father gone, and as much as I would like to help, this has to be your own journey."

"So… what are you saying? I have to leave?"

"Do you want to?" Lloyd could see concern in his uncle's expression, and suddenly he realized that Wu was just as worried about him as Kai was.

Should he leave? The other ninja would be fine without him for a bit. No pressing concerns threatened Ninjago's safety. He had to admit, the idea certainly had appeal. And after what had happened today while training, maybe it would be better if he left. "I can return whenever I want?"

"Of course. The whole point is that you do actually come back!"

"Well, that's good, since I'd hate for you guys to be celebrating that you finally got rid of me."

"Uh, Lloyd?" Lloyd and his uncle turned to see Kai standing at the edge of the room. "There's someone here to see you."

Lloyd exchanged glances with Wu. "Who is it?"

"Pythor."

* * *

Pythor fidgeted outside the door to the monastery. How long did it take to come to the door? It wasn't as if the ninja had to slither their way everywhere. Still, at least they hadn't turned him away…

He needed a driver to help him execute the beginning of his plan. And after considering which ninja to ask for assistance, he'd finally settled on Lloyd. This wasn't so much for their shared past but rather for the sake of the ride itself: Kai tended to drive fast from what he had heard, and though Kai would be potentially fun to poke fun at, he would just as potentially burn Pythor for his efforts. Zane was too serious, Cole a hard read. And while matching wits with Jay would be entertaining, the ninja of lightning would likely want to discuss girl problems at some point. Yeck. Pythor had no interest in tales of romantic woe and the drama they brought with them. Yet, as he understood it, all the ninja except for Lloyd had girl problems. Why, Zane even had a woman living in his head for goodness sake! No, it would be far easier to travel with Lloyd, for his problems, whenever they would be raised, were ones Pythor felt much more comfortable dealing with. Now if only Lloyd would hurry up…

It took a few more moments before the door finally opened to a hesitant-looking Lloyd. "Hello, Pythor."

"Lloyd, my old chum! It's absolutely splendid to see you. I have a bit of a dilemma that I would greatly appreciate your help with. And I'm sure you'll be glad to hear that it doesn't involve any, shall we say, unscrupulous plots against you or the rest of Ninjago?"

"What did you have in mind?"

Pythor leaned forward with a dramatic pause before replying, "Grocery shopping."

Lloyd regarded Pythor in silence for a few seconds. "You're… not joking, are you?"

"No, I'm quite serious," Pythor huffed. "It's a bit too far of a walk to the store. They still haven't made vehicles for those of us with tails rather than limbs, you know."

Lloyd sighed and shook his head, a faint smile on his lips. "What about when we were chasing the tour bus you commandeered to the Lost City of Ouroborus?"

"Well, I suppose if you consider that driving, you are more than welcome to vouch for me when I pick up a police escort."

"Alight, alright. Let me get the keys for Sensei's van, since I don't know if we'll have enough room on my dragon for your groceries. Uh, you can wait here in the hall if you want. I'll just be a couple of minutes." Lloyd turned and disappeared back into the monastery, leaving Pythor to let himself in.

Though being able to see where the ninja lived intrigued Pythor, he was more interested in seeing how his new plan would turn out. Hopefully there wouldn't be too much of this waiting around. At this rate, he'd shed his skin before he had the chance to reveal the true nature of his intentions…

* * *

A/N: So of course the _real_ reason Lloyd has to leave is so _Shadow of Ronin_ can start relatively soon. ;) As always, feedback is welcomed. Any thoughts on Pythor's plan? And if Wu and Iroh (from Avatar: The Last Airbender) were to meet, would they get into a tea-making contest at some point or just complain about the lack of true appreciation for tea in society (or both)?

Coming next chapter... Just another day in Ninjago- wait, was that a Serpentine in the grocery store?- and Pythor's plan. In the meantime, the first episodes of season 6 have appeared on YouTube!


	4. Shopping and Schemes

**Chapter 4:** _Shopping and Schemes_

A/N: Happy belated Valentine's, and I hope you all enjoy this next chapter!

* * *

Lloyd hadn't known what to expect from grocery shopping with Pythor. But what he hadn't considered was how natural it seemed. _Natural_ , of course, not normal. After all, what part of strolling through brightly lit aisles with a large white anthropomorphic snake could be considered normal?

Pythor had thrown a head of cabbage at an employee who didn't agree that the price was ridiculous. Aisles mysteriously cleared out within seconds of their arrival. Pythor rigged a water fountain to spray the impatient man behind him, bought the green ninja's favorite candy as a gift, debated the best flavor of spaghetti sauce (because, as Lloyd had quickly learned, they were _not_ all created equal), and chatted about the weather with a clearly terrified checkout clerk. Yet Lloyd hadn't felt awkward at all through this and had a hard time not laughing while apologizing to those Pythor had offended.

He hadn't felt this good in a while.

"The nerve of some people!" Pythor grumbled, having just returned from putting the cart back.

Lloyd closed the trunk and headed to the driver's side. "What happened?"

"Some old lady nearly ran me over!" He slid into the passenger seat as Lloyd started the van. "Hmmph. So much for pedestrians having the right of way."

"Did I tell you about the old lady who kept scolding Kai for flying his dragon in Ninjago City when we were trying to stop Chen?"

"No, but that doesn't surprise me…"

"You should ask him about it when you get the chance. He does a pretty good impression of her." Lloyd slowly backed out of their parking spot. "So was this it for your groceries?"

"Actually, there was one last stop I wanted to make. A certain tea shop not too far from here."

"If you want tea, I know my uncle'd be willing to make some for you."

"Yes, but I'm looking for a rather rare type. I doubt Wu has it."

Lloyd raised an eyebrow. "There's a tea that Wu _doesn't_ have?"

"Yes, shocking, I know." Pythor paused. "You do know where the tea shop is, right?"

"Yeah, it's the one run by—" Lloyd snickered "—another grumpy old lady!"

Pythor chuckled. "Yes, that would be the one."

* * *

Pythor eased open the door of the tea shop, glancing about as his eyes adjusted to the change in light. Lloyd had dropped him at the door before heading to park, which suited Pythor just fine—he didn't need to worry about dodging any more careless drivers.

The tea shop, to his surprise, seemed deserted. Quite odd, for being one of the main tea shops in Ninjago. "Hello?" he called, slithering toward the front counter. "It's a customer."

Silence greeted him for a few moments, until he heard a rustle of movement and a small, timid-looking boy peeped over the counter. "Y-y-you're a snake," he stammered.

"I prefer the term Serpentine, but yes, you would be correct."

"Gramma said not to talk to strangers. 'Specially snakes, 'cause they're bad."

 _Goodness, could his eyes get any wider?_ "Not all are bad. Sometimes…they just make mistakes. Like humans."

The boy said nothing for a moment, still staring at Pythor. Finally he asked, "But don't you eat little boys?"

The earnest tone of the child took Pythor aback for a moment. "No, of course not!" He struggled to keep his tone light, knowing all too well where the boy would've gotten those notions from. "Come now, do I really look that bad?"

Hesitation, followed by a quick nod.

Pythor sighed. "It's the fangs, isn't it? That's what happens when you don't eat all your vegetables."

The child remained silent for a few heartbeats. "You're lying!"

"Am not."

"Are too!"

"I assure you, I'm not!"

"It's bad to lie," the boy countered gravely. "You might—" he paused, trying to think of an appropriate consequence "—grow a fishtail!"

"Oh really?" Pythor raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," the boy replied, lips twitching as he tried to keep his expression stern. But he soon lost the battle and giggled.

Pythor smiled. "That's a lesson you'd best remember then, young chap! We don't need you turning into a fish now, do we?"

The boy shook his head. "No sir!" He paused for a moment. "Are your scales real?"

"Why don't you come and find out for yourself?" Pythor replied, holding out an arm.

"I don't know." The boy fiddled with his glasses and glanced around nervously. "I'm not suppose' to come past the counter unless I'm helping Gramma." He edged to the side of the counter, peered over his shoulder, then scampered over to Pythor and poked his arm. "They _are_ real!" he grinned.

"Ahem."

Both Pythor and the boy jumped at the sound. The latter paled slightly as he realized who it was and darted back behind the counter.

The "grumpy old lady" in question, Mystake, put one arm protectively around her grandson while glaring at Pythor. "What do you want, _snake_?"

He didn't bother trying to correct her. _Best get this one over with_. "I'd like to purchase some Spiritseeker Tea."

"And what, exactly, do you need that for?" Her gravelly voice took on a sharper note.

The jingle of the door's bell spared Pythor from answering as Lloyd joined them. "You would not believe how hard it was to find a parking spot," he commented as he caught sight of Pythor.

Mystake glanced at the new arrival. "You're with him?" A note of surprise was in her rasp.

Lloyd nodded. "Just came to pick up some tea."

"Hmmph. Very well then." She pulled some ingredients from different jars and put them into a small bag while Pythor placed some coins on the counter. "But mark my words. Nothing good comes of using that tea."

"Thank you, all the same," Pythor replied quickly, glancing at his companion. Fortunately, he did not appear to have heard Mystake's pronouncement. Pythor slithered to the exit. "Let's go, Lloyd."

* * *

"Something bothering you, Pythor?" Lloyd asked. They'd been driving back to Pythor's place for several minutes now, but his Anacondrai passenger had been strangely silent.

"Hmm?" Pythor glanced at him. "Oh, it's nothing really. I know the Serpentine War left a bad taste in everyone's mouth, but… it will be a long time before Serpentine and humans can live as equals again. If it ever happens at all. We Serpentine have come a long way from who we were, but we did a pretty good job of destroying our relationship with the public, didn't we?" A bitter note colored his laugh.

Lloyd glanced at Pythor in concern. "Did something happen in the tea shop while I was gone?"

"Nothing unusual. Really. Except…" He cleared his throat. "Well, it's not important. Just make sure if you have any children at some point that you teach them to keep an open mind, eh?"

"Well, we're friends. And you and the Serpentine worked with us to stop Chen, so doesn't that count for something?"

Pythor considered for a moment. "Yes, I suppose it does. A step in the right direction at least, I say. And who knows, Green Ninja? Perhaps one day we'll change the world."

"Yeah. I think my dad would like that." Lloyd sighed, surprised at the direction their conversation had begun to take. It wasn't one he intended to entertain much further. "So, uh, what's special about the tea you picked up?"

"Ah. That. It's called Spiritseeker Tea. It allows one to contact a spirit in the Cursed Realm."

"Oh?"

"Yes, it's quite hard to find these days. Not many know of it."

"And…" – _I have a bad feeling about this—_ "what were you planning on doing with it? I thought the only Cursed Anacondrai were the generals, and we released them all."

"Indeed. I had a different idea in mind. Something along the lines of, oh I don't know, freeing your father?"

Lloyd slammed on the brakes of the van. Behind them, a car honked loudly and swerved around them, continuing forward on the otherwise deserted road. But Lloyd was oblivious to it all. He turned to face Pythor. " _What_ did you say?"

"I want to help you rescue your father," the Serpentine replied calmly.

"But…he was Cursed! There's no getting him back."

"I believe you may be mistaken—"

"He's gone!" Lloyd shouted, surprising them both. " _Gone_ , okay? And the sooner I can just accept that, the… the better…" He couldn't finish his sentence. He swallowed, trying to push back his threatening anger and that irksome stinging in his eyes. "Look, I burned Clouse's spell book. And there's a reason it's called the Cursed Realm. People just don't come back from that."

"That's what they thought about the Underworld too, wasn't it?"

"Don't say that!" Lloyd shook his head. "It's not the same."

"Pull over, Lloyd, dear fellow, and at least give me the chance to explain myself."

"Fine." He drove the van into the grass beside the road and turned off the vehicle. "What's your grand scheme?"

"The Cursed Realm, as I understand it, has been around for a while. Which means there's been a while to research it, find ways to interact with it. That spell book is just one of many—like this tea. As I said, it allows you to converse with a Cursed soul."

"My father?"

"And others who perhaps have greater knowledge of the Cursed Realm itself. Like your friend who owned the spell book."

" _Clouse?_ He hates my father! What makes you think he of all people would even _want_ to help us?"

"Because… we're the only ones who can free him."

Lloyd stared at him. "No! We're not letting him back so he can become our next opponent! And I'm telling you, he won't help my dad!"

"I can be rather persuasive at times."

"This isn't a joke, Pythor!"

"I know. I'm quite serious."

"And what if I'd have to do something terrible to rescue my dad? There's a reason that stuff is called _dark_ magic!"

"Then you'll know you at least explored all of your options. You won't lose anything—better yet, you may gain a sense of closure."

"…I don't believe this."

"And, even if this doesn't work, you'll be able to speak to your dad once in a while. You can say goodbye properly, at least."

Lloyd glanced out the window, letting his gaze wander while focusing on nothing in particular. "What if… This is how it was… supposed to end? What if… talking to him, trying to free him stops me from growing into who I'm supposed to be?"

"And who _are_ you supposed to be, Lloyd? Yes, you were chosen to fulfill a prophecy, but that isn't what shapes you. It's about much more than that. You're your own person. You make your own choices. You've been forced to grow up enough as it is. Don't be in a hurry to follow it through." He paused. "Besides, your father isn't exactly, ah, in his youth. One day you'll have to face his loss without _any_ chance of seeing him again. If you have the ability to rescue him or even just talk to him one last time, you should. And cherish that opportunity all the more."

The fierceness in Pythor's voice surprised Lloyd. He stared at his hands, trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling through him. "Why do you care so much about this?"

At first, Lloyd thought the Anacondrai hadn't heard him. But, just when he was about to repeat his question, Pythor replied. "Perhaps it would be best if I told you a story that illustrates your answer."

"Alright."

"Once, there was a group of…hmm, humans. Yes, that sounds good. And they were sent to—no, make that trapped—in a… cave-in. Suffice to say they soon realized they would be stuck there for a very long time since they couldn't get out and no one was looking for them. So they chose to work with what they had: build a garden, hunt a few rats, and otherwise manage their situation. But one day, a sickness came. It poisoned some of their minds, creating paranoia, aggression, and making them confuse friend with foe. Fights broke out, and those still sane hid rather than tend their gardens.

"Hunger and other sickness set in and made the situation worse. Many grew desperate, with some resorting to cannibalism. But not all were drawn into the madness, though their numbers steadily shrank. One, ah, _human_ farmer and the woman he… loved… held out for a while. But eventually… she died from hunger. He couldn't do anything about it, but he got angry at himself enough to come out of hiding. Except soon he realized everyone was dead. All his friends, everyone he had known—all gone. So he survived and dreamed of revenge on the ones that had banished his people because that was all he could do now. Until someone freed him."

"Me," whispered Lloyd.

"Yes, but you weren't supposed to figure that out."

The Green Ninja couldn't suppress a slight smile at Pythor's indignant tone."You slipped up a few times."

Pythor sighed. "I did, didn't I? Well, there you have it. My tale of woe. The point is, I would have done anything to bring back those I cared about. You now have that chance. I think you should try, at least for now, but I understand your reservations. So I'll leave the final decision to you."

The chance to bring Garmadon back. How many long nights had Lloyd spent, wishing for just that?

 _But I'm a ninja. A protector of Ninjago. And if the price of freeing my father is Clouse's release, is that worth that risk? Dad said Clouse tried to send him to the Cursed Realm—what if he tries again? Or finds some way to free Chen? But…what would Chen do, since he can't build another army of Anacondrai?_

 _Is this worth the risk?_

Misako was missing Garmadon just as much. Lloyd hated seeing his mom so upset.

 _What would Dad say? Probably to leave him, that it's too dangerous to free Clouse, that the whole reason he was banished was to stop Chen and Clouse and not to make his sacrifice be in vain._

 _What if the situation was reversed, though? What would he do if_ I _was the one stuck in the Cursed Realm? Wouldn't he stop at nothing to rescue me?_

Lloyd let out a deep breath. "I don't like the idea of freeing Clouse."

"Well, I can't think of anything else we could use as a bargaining chip short of freeing Chen, can you?"

Lloyd considered for a moment. "No."

"A shame he doesn't have a child or something…"

"Pythor, kidnapping is _not_ an option, even if he did have a family."

"Hmm. I assume poison is out of the question as well?"

"Pythor!"

"It would get the point across," the Anacondrai muttered.

"That's not how this works. Besides, aren't you supposed to be reformed?"

"In principle, yes, but it's a rather slow process."

"Remind me to help you with that, then."

"Fair enough. Would I be correct in assuming you made your decision, then?"

"Yeah." Lloyd turned the key in the ignition. "I'll give it a try."

* * *

A/N: Pythor is so much fun to write... And for anyone wondering, I imagine Lloyd's favorite candy is Twizzlers. Especially the strawberry kind. :)

So I know at least some of you have seen all of season 6... any thoughts? For the sake of avoiding spoilers, I'll just leave it at Ronin is (always) awesome. Speaking of which, I'll be introducing him next chapter! :D Anyone else excited?

Reviews and feedback, as always, are encouraged (and a giant THANK YOU to those who have so far)!


	5. Vulnerable

**Chapter 5:** _Vulnerable_

A/N: Finally, here's the next chapter! And finally, Ronin arrives! Yes... I might be just the slightest bit biased. ;) But without further ado:

* * *

 _He stood alone, katana drawn, facing his enemy. Anger, fear, anxiety, and bravado melded together in a potent adrenaline-fueled energy as he leapt forward to strike the first blow._

 _He was the only one who could save his friends._

 _To his horror, his katana only sliced through mist—an illusion. Sinister laughter surrounded him while fog obscured his sight. "You thought you could defeat me, Ronin?" the voice hissed, both everywhere and nowhere at once. "Thought you could free your friends and play the hero? You're a fool. A coward, a traitor, a thief, and a fool. Your gamble won't end well for anyone, least of all you."_

 _A searing pain in his right eye. And he was falling, falling…_

 _He landed in a cell: eerie green light reflecting on unfriendly stone walls and sturdy bars. The place was cold, damp, and…unsettling. He moved closer to the cell door, trying to get a better sense of his surroundings. But all he could see was an imposing stone corridor._

 _Something materialized through its wall—a ghost. As if sensing Ronin watching, it turned sharply and drifted closer to his cell. His blood ran cold as he realized who it was: Soul Archer._

" _I'm coming for you, Ronin."_

 _Soul Archer raised his bow, aimed between the bars, and fired._

* * *

Ronin woke with a gasp, his eyes snapping open, breath coming in short bursts. For a moment, the stone walls of his surroundings disoriented him—was he still in the cell?—but the dying embers of a fire, the irregular contours of the cave wall, and the hint of soft light that managed to trickle in from the mouth of the cave all indicated otherwise.

He still raised a hand to his chest to make sure an arrow wasn't there all the same.

Ronin's current hideout was nestled in a small cave. He had bolt holes hidden across Ninjago with varying levels of security ranging from tier one, the lowest, to tier three, the highest. This particular one was a tier two, including a hologram projected onto the concealed entrances and a small alarm system to catch intruders. Several solar batteries disguised as poisonous mushrooms were scattered outside the cave. A hidden ladder led to the larger cavern in the cliff side below where REX was parked.

With a groan he sat up, rubbing his good eye and hoping the vestiges of his nightmare would vanish. It had been a while since he'd had a dream like that, long enough to have lured him into a false sense of security. Ultimately, though, it didn't matter if he was staying in one of his refuges: even if he never got caught, his Curse would still activate if he couldn't repay his debt in time.

" _You're a ticking time bomb, boy,"_ Clouse had told him the first time Ronin traveled to Chen's island for work. _"Any half-rate sorcerer could tell you that. Your Curse is bonded to your very body. How fascinating…"_

It was bad enough to have his eye damaged, but the Curse ensured that he could never truly move forward with his life. And of all that he had lost, Ronin hated that lack of freedom the most. _Of course_ he was afraid of the Cursed Realm. _Of course_ he was afraid of Soul Archer catching him. _Of course_ he was afraid of another encounter with the one who had damaged his eye, the one Soul Archer worked for, the one responsible for all of _this_. The fear remained coiled inside of him, plaguing his mind even when he slept.

The images of his nightmare still lingered in his head, pressing in on him and sparking memories he had worked hard to repress.

So it was that kind of dream, huh? His absolute worst favorite. Well, no matter then. He had ways around that. REX could probably use a good cleaning right about now…

He slid out of bed and stood, bare feet cold on the cave floor. He couldn't help a slight shiver, but that was what he got for choosing not to sleep in his armor. For believing, just for a moment, that he was safe.

 _Shut up._ He clamped down on the thought, shoved it aside with a vicious, practiced ease borne of experience. Now, what was he getting? Right, a bucket—and there one sat by what remained of the fire. He crossed over to it, then turned toward the cave's entrance. It would be a quick walk to the nearby river, and the slight weight of a sheathed dagger rested comfortably in his pants pocket. He should be fine.

And he would have been, had not a ghostly figure with a bow materialized in the gloom of the cave's entrance.

The bucket slipped from his nerveless fingers as he stood, paralyzed, for a moment. Then Ronin was reaching for his dagger, knowing it was useless against ghosts but wanting the reassurance of a weapon in his hand anyhow.

Except…the ghost was gone. It took several breathless moments and running every scan he could think of with his eyepatch for Ronin to finally accept that there had never been one in the first place—it'd just been his imagination. His mind, already on edge, had panicked for no reason.

Ronin sagged against the nearby cave wall in relief. It was foolish, of course, to have thought he'd seen Soul Archer. The man had been turned into a ghost and trapped in the Cursed Realm a few years ago. And no one escaped the Cursed Realm.

 _Which is all the more reason to get my sorry self in gear and pay off that blasted debt._ Not that he hadn't been doing so already, of course. But his dream was a sharp reminder why he couldn't afford any amount of slack in his efforts. Soul Archer might be Cursed, but Ronin's deadline crept forward regardless. And Soul Archer wasn't the one he really needed to repay, anyway.

Almost unbidden, the other, first voice from his dream sprang into his thoughts. Ronin couldn't help a shudder. Even in a dream, that voice instantly summoned his ever-lurking fear and, worse, how much he hated feeling helpless. Its owner had taught him the very meaning.

He straightened off the wall, staring at yet not really seeing the cave's entrance as memories prodded the edges of his consciousness. He let them hover there, hesitant to dismiss them again but reluctant to let them flow. Instead, he reached up with slightly trembling hands—obviously because he'd slept shirtless in the cool cave, he told himself—and undid his eyepatch.

— _Burning, blazing,_ blinding _pain_ —

Ronin closed his eyes, forcing himself to draw deep, shuddering breaths. He held his eyepatch in front of his chest and slowly raised his other hand to his damaged eye, feeling the ropy, diagonal scar beneath his fingers. Miraculously, his eye hadn't been completely blinded by the injury. Enough was functional that his eyepatch could fill in the missing gaps in his vision, as well as enhance what remained.

— _Lying on the ground curled around himself, body too bruised and broken and bleeding and_ burning _to move. Screaming in the distance that, after several moments, he realized was himself. But the most excruciating pain came from the knowledge that he had failed.—_

He managed another unsteady breath. Yes, he'd failed, and what a price he had paid for doing so. But he had learned, too. He had trained harder and found better equipment. More importantly, he'd stopped caring about problems that weren't his own. Stopped caring about what anyone thought about him. Stopped caring about having friends. He didn't need that kind of baggage, and frankly, he found it refreshing not to worry about his numerous enemies targeting people close to him. True, that meant he was on his own if he was in a tight spot, but that was why he continuously worked to stay in peak physical condition and improve his knowledge, skills, and technology.

Let his eye remind him of his shortcomings. But let it remind him that he still had a future, too. A future that, for now, he could control.

Speaking of which… REX could wait. He needed another contract. Thus far, Chen had provided the most consistent work, along with high payments and the occasional assistance: he had Chen to thank for the tip-off about the Obsidian Glaive's location a couple years back. Overall, it was a good working arrangement. He'd just take a quick wash in the river, then pack up and fly REX over to Chen's island. Waiting was pointless—unless he really did want to take a trip to the Cursed Realm and say hello to Soul Archer.

 _And there's no way in the Underworld,_ he thought with a grim smile as he buckled on his eyepatch and slipped out of the cave's entrance, _that I'm gonna let that happen._

* * *

Morro hated the rain. It had been annoying in the Cursed Realm where it weakened ghosts, but was downright dangerous here in Ninjago. He'd had to possess a tree when a downpour unexpectedly started.

He stretched his branches restlessly, leaves rustling. His time in the Cursed Realm had taught him patience, but he didn't care for staying idle, especially where there was so much riding on his success. Let the foolish laze about; he had work to do! But this rain put quite a damper on his situation.

Morro sighed, which in his tree form resulted in a swaying of his top branches and a settling of his roots into the loamy earth beneath him. He knew the Realm Crystal was the key to opening the Cursed Realm, but he had absolutely no idea where to find it. And that was…problematic.

He was Morro, Master of Wind, maker of his own fate, a highly skilled fighter, the Preeminent's chosen, and perhaps the only ghost to escape the Cursed Realm. If it had been _her_ will, he would have fought an entire army single-handedly or found a way to unleash the horrors of the Underworld on Ninjago. As it was, he only had to find a crystal. But _everything_ rode on this mission. Despite his honor at and confidence in being selected, he had never more felt the pressure to succeed weighing on him. But _she_ believed in him.

He didn't have the answers and he was hindered by the rain. But he refused to disappoint her. After all, he wasn't just qualified.

He had been _chosen._

* * *

The trill of birdsong, coupled with a gentle breeze and the warmth of the early morning sun, made the clearing near Pythor's house something of an idyll. Yet Lloyd hardly noticed it, too lost in his own worries, anxiety thudding in his heart. Had he made the right decision? Would Clouse cooperate with them? Would the tea even work?

Pythor had suggested they wait until the next morning before using the tea. This way, they wouldn't have to worry about the darkness of evening taking away their light source or drawing attention to their activities. And, the Serpentine had added, Lloyd could have a bit of time to himself to make sure he still was okay with his decision. Lloyd appreciated Pythor's thoughtfulness, but part of him wished they hadn't waited.

"Lloyd?" Pythor's voice snapped the green ninja out of his reverie. "The tea's ready."

Lloyd headed over to the small fire, where Pythor was pouring a cup of steaming tea. "So what am I supposed to do?"

"The way I understand it, you need to picture the person you wish to contact as clearly as possible. What they look like, interactions you had with them—anything goes, so long as they remain your focus."

"Do I drink the whole cup or just a sip?" Lloyd peered at the dark liquid with suspicion. It sure looked like normal tea.

"Hmm. Try drinking the whole thing and we'll see what happens."

Lloyd took a deep breath, summoning what he remembered of Clouse to his mind. "Well, here goes nothing." He took an experimental sip. It tasted ordinary, and he was about to tell Pythor as much, when a sharp, bitter taste filled his mouth. Like… he struggled to find ordinary words. Like the tang of accidentally eating a clove, but with the flavor of what he could only describe as _decay_ , like rotting leaves.

"How is it?"

"Terrible." Lloyd wrinkled his face. "You sure I gotta drink it all?"

"That's what we agreed on. Just be glad the mix was only enough for one cup," replied Pythor with the faintest hint of a smirk.

"Wait—you're enjoying this?"

"Let's just say that if your reaction is anything to go by, I'm glad I'm not the one who knows this Clouse. And your expression _is_ rather amusing. But in all seriousness, keep at it and concentrate on remembering."

Lloyd sighed and took another sip, trying his best not to think of moldy leaves and focus instead on Chen's right-hand man. Clouse, the dark magician whose spell book had landed them into so much trouble. He thought of Clouse standing on the ferry to Chen's Island, Clouse glaring at Garmadon, Clouse talking quietly with Chen, Clouse watching the Tournament competitors with calculated disinterest. He could picture the man's face: dark hair pulled back in a low ponytail, framing sharp eyes, thick eyebrows, a mustache, and regarding the world in general with a suspicious stare. Well, it beat moldy leaves at least…

After choking back several more sips, Lloyd tasted a hint of sweetness that burst into a stronger note before vanishing. He opened his eyes in surprise, but even stranger, he found that everything was glowing a spectral blue.

"Lloyd?" There was no mistaking the concern in Pythor's voice.

 _I'm fine_ , Lloyd wanted to reply, but suddenly, the world was spinning, and his eyes were burning, and his entire body felt warm, and his throat was constricted, and there was pressure on his chest, and the warmth was growing in intensity, and there was _pain,_ and he opened his mouth to shout, but suddenly the pain was moving across his body to his mouth, and…

Leaving.

"…hear me? Lloyd, are you okay?"

Lloyd opened his eyes, blinking in confusion. A large snake head was hovering in his face. "Pythor, I'm…" It hurt to talk. Yet surprisingly, beyond a headache, only his throat seemed in pain and his vision had returned to normal. "I'm fine. I think."

Pythor leaned back, relief clear in his features. "Well, that's a start."

Lloyd glanced around. He lay on the ground, the cup that had started it all lying innocently out of his reach near the fire. Presumably, he'd dropped it and it had rolled there. But the cup wasn't all that was near the fire: a translucent blue shape floated in the air. And as Lloyd watched, it slowly became more human-like until it had transformed into… Clouse.

* * *

A/N: And there you have it-not just Ronin, but a bit of Morro and a hint of Clouse too! To make all these cliffhangers worse, I'll add that I have a lot of Ronin's backstory worked out, including who his parents are. You've met one of them in the show before, and no his father is not Cliff Gordon. But that's all I'll say on the matter for a while...

But to compensate as a bonus, I also have a sketch of Ronin from this chapter for your enjoyment (I hope!): midnightshadowrider()deviantart()com/art/Can-t-Forget-602143102. Just make sure you switch out the parentheses with periods if you copy and paste the link.

On a side note, are there any _Danny Phantom_ fans out there? I just got on a major DP kick starting last month and feel like there's some major potential in a Ninjago-DP crossover, be it story or drawings. Just imagine Danny versus Morro (or Cole), or Nadakhan and Desiree utterly smitten by each other! :)

Hope you all enjoyed! Next chapter you can look forward to more Ronin and Clouse, and after that, the beginning of _Shadow of Ronin_!


	6. Maybe, Just Maybe

**Chapter 6:** _Maybe, Just Maybe_

A/N: Aaaaaand, we're back! Sorry for the delay-I like to have at least one chapter written beyond what I post, and chapter 7 has been something of a headache. But now that it's coming along, it's high time we get this show back on the road. Enjoy!

* * *

It was morning by the time Chen's island came into Ronin's view from his vantage point in R.E.X.'s cockpit: lush jungle framing a large, ornate palace set close to the island's edge. Though some might call the palace ostentatious, Ronin liked the building. Of course it was a show of power—that was the point—but the architecture had a balanced elegancy about it. Just because he worked occasionally as a thief didn't mean his appreciation for art had to be strictly monetary.

 _Besides, a palace is much too big to steal_ , he thought with a smirk as he expertly landed REX in a jungle clearing not too far from the palace. He switched off the engine, activated REX's stealth mode, and buckled his katana over his black kimono before slipping out of the ship. His Obsidian Glaive remained tucked away in a hidden compartment. Where he was going, he wouldn't need it.

It was a relatively short walk to Chen's palace, since Ronin had long since familiarized himself with the jungle around it and knew the most direct path there. Not until he neared the main entrance, however, did he realize something was off. He didn't see any of Chen's henchmen on the dock, and no guards above the gate greeted him. Frowning, he knocked sharply on the gate doors.

"Hello! Anyone home?" He scanned the area with his eyepatch as he did so, one hand resting lightly on his katana's hilt. Strange, the place really did seem deserted—

A sudden thump sounded from behind him. He spun, unsheathing his katana in one fluid motion. But no one was there.

 _A diversion?_ was all he had time to think before hands roughly grabbed him and pulled him through the now open gate.

* * *

When Lloyd had finished drinking the tea, Pythor had been startled to see his young friend's eyes glowing blue, eerily similar to the blue of the Cursed Realm portal Garmadon had opened a few weeks ago. Then Lloyd had collapsed to the ground, convulsing as that same blueness spilled from his mouth as some sort of mist. Now Lloyd appeared fine, while the mist had taken the form of an ethereal male human sporting armor in the same colors of Chen's imposter army and a confused expression.

Clouse hadn't noticed Pythor or Lloyd yet, but the Anacondrai knew it was only a matter of seconds. He swiftly straightened, moving in front of the still-dazed ninja to block him from Clouse's view and clearing his throat. "Hello, old chap!"

Clouse jumped, then stared at Pythor. "Master Chen succeeded, then? I had hoped so but wasn't certain. Did he send you to find me?"

"Well, not exactly. Chen, ah, isn't around here anymore."

"What do you mean?"

Clouse's look of incredulity was far too amusing to pass up. Pythor leaned closer and, after a dramatic pause, announced, "I ate him."

"You _what_?!"

Pythor chuckled. This man was far too easy to mess with. "No, but you should have seen your face!" _Careful old boy, you're playing a dangerous game…_ He sighed. "In all seriousness, though, Chen is just as trapped as you. He got himself banished to the Cursed Realm."

Clouse's eyebrows furrowed. "You didn't summon me here just to say that, though."

"True. Instead, I've come to ask you something."

"I'm listening."

"As I understand it, you know a fair bit about Cursing people. But what about freeing someone from the Cursed Realm?"

Clouse was silent for a moment. "So…naturally the first person you ask is someone _trapped_ in the Cursed Realm?"

"No, the first person I ask is someone with a working knowledge of the Cursed Realm."

"Hmm. Fair enough. But tell me, why should I help you? So far, you've told me my master is imprisoned. Yet somehow you, an Anacondrai familiar with Chen, have escaped this punishment."

Oh, he was sharp. Probably not the type to let flattery gloss over any suspicions he may have either. "I gather you'd already have freed yourself if you could. Assuming there's a way from Ninjago to let someone in the Cursed Realm out, I would release you for your troubles."

More silence as Clouse considered his words. "And what would I be doing when you release me?"

"That's up to you. I'm simply seeking information here."

"And Master Chen?"

"Not part of the deal, though what you decide when you're back in Ninjago is your own business."

Clouse sighed. "The problem with the Cursed Realm is that it's designed to keep people inside. There are a host of protective measures in place, none of which I've particularly cared to study."

"But you had a spell for un-Cursing people in your spell book."

Pythor whipped his head around to see Lloyd now standing beside him, a serious look on his face.

"Ah. Garmadon's brat. So that's why you summoned me—something happened to your precious father, didn't it?"

Pythor resisted the urge to facepalm. _Lloyd, I was actually getting somewhere before you cut in…_

"He's in the Cursed Realm too," Lloyd replied, defiance in his voice. "He banished himself with your spell book to release the Anacondrai Generals and stop Chen's madness."

"Of _course_ he did."

"But if you help me save my father, we'll help you too. You have my word as the Green Ninja."

Clouse crossed his arms. "What on Ninjago makes you think I would help him? He deserves to be stuck here and more."

"But do _you_ really want to be stuck there forever?" Pythor countered. "You're trapped as much as he is, which let me tell you does not exactly make for the best revenge, let alone gloating. Chen isn't going to save you. And if you don't work with us, you'll waste away and be forgotten—not even as a story to scare little children. You'll never be able to enjoy Ninjago again: not to live in, not to scheme in, certainly not a make a family, if you ever cared about that—"

"Enough." A sharpness Pythor hadn't expected colored Clouse's tone. "You've made your point. But I can't help you."

"Your fight with my dad happened years ago!" Lloyd burst out. "Why can't you move on?"

"Quiet, boy. I said _can't_ , not _won't_." The dark magician sighed again, rubbing his temples. "My dealings with the Cursed Realm have been to Curse people, not bring them back. That spell you mentioned is the only one I'm familiar with, and even then, it comes with a cost, as you saw. And you notice that even though you brought me to Ninjago, I assume through Spiritseeker Tea, I'm not actually _here_. What you're asking—to release someone from the Cursed Realm fully intact, body and soul—is beyond my ability. "

Pythor didn't need to see Lloyd's face to sense his disappointment.

"But," continued Clouse, "there may be someone else who could help you. My apprentice studied the Cursed Realm quite a bit and was interested in the same question. I'm sure he'd share his research, provided you can find him."

"And who is this apprentice of yours?" prompted Pythor.

"Former apprentice," Clouse corrected, a tinge of regret flashing across his face. "His name is Rako."

Beside Pythor, Lloyd started. "Rako? Does he have dark brown hair? Ponytail? Wear a gray coat?"

Clouse fixed him with a sharp gaze. "Yes… You know him?"

"Yeah. I helped him free his friends from a spell and we became friends too."

Clouse stared at Lloyd, astonishment etched across his features. "…Of _course_ you did," he finally managed. "Must be pleasant, having destiny on your side."

"Sometimes." Lloyd kept his voice even, but Pythor knew Lloyd would never consider having his father banished to the Cursed Realm as evidence of destiny favoring him. "We'll find Rako, then, and if he can help us, we'll keep our word and free you too. But only if you promise one thing."

"And what would that be?"

"Don't hurt my dad. Or you can forget about our help."

"Very well. I shall indulge you, Green Ninja. But if you free Garmadon and not me, I'll find a way to make you both suffer."

Lloyd nodded. "It's a deal, then."

* * *

Ronin did his best to ignore the dagger at his throat as he took in his surroundings, though the stone wall digging into his back and the pressure of the blade on his skin made it difficult. He breathed a silent sigh of relief when he recognized his would-be captors. "Hello, ladies!" He offered a grin to the small group of kabuki surrounding him. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Master Ronin!" exclaimed one of the dancers, flushing with embarrassment. She, like most of the women in the group, had abandoned her fancy kimono for a more practical outfit, though she still wore the elaborate make-up of her profession. "We're so sorry!" She and the others surrounding him backed away respectfully, a couple bowing to him. The one who had the dagger at his throat—Jian, he recalled—finally lowered her weapon.

"What've I said about the whole master and bowing thing?" Ronin sighed. "Knock it off already."

"Of course, _sensei_ ," Jian replied, emphasizing the last word as she sheathed her dagger, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

Ronin shot her a look. "Not funny, sweetheart. You're improving, though."

The girl half-bowed with a smile at his praise. "It's good that you're back—a lot's changed since your last visit."

He glanced around at the nearly deserted courtyard and kabuki. "So I noticed."

"Then you see why you need to speak with my father immediately." She headed toward Chen's palace while behind her, the remaining dancers secured the gate. Ronin followed, a slight frown on his face.

* * *

"So you're saying Chen and his entire army are stuck in the Cursed Realm?" Ronin leaned back in his chair, face turned toward the familiar floor-to-ceiling window of Chen's private receiving room as he bit back frustration at this turn of events. He'd heard of a Serpentine army attacking Ninjago several weeks ago, but had assumed it was the same snakes who had attacked with the Great Devourer over a year past. True, Chen heavily used Anacondrai symbols, and the man wore one of their skulls as a hat, but Ronin had never realized becoming a full Anacondrai was Chen's intention.

More importantly, he hadn't counted on his most consistent employer vanishing to the one place he wanted to avoid at all costs.

"Exactly," Tariq, the head kabuki confirmed. A talented dancer in his own right, Tariq had served Chen for years, keeping an eye out for spies within their ranks as well as any harassment directed toward the kabuki.

That was one aspect of Chen's organization that Ronin respected, beyond the good pay: although the women dressed in elaborate kimonos and makeup, danced, and worked as servants, Chen had made it clear that the women would not be taken advantage of. He wanted to be viewed as a patron of their art and employ the best dancers; the promise of protection from unwanted advances seemed as effective a draw as the pay. As per Chen's orders, infractions were quickly punished. Nor had the women been required to receive the Anacondrai tattoo, which explained why they alone remained on the island. In Tariq's case, Clouse had enchanted his tattoo to exempt him from the spell.

"So what now?" Ronin glanced back at Tariq. "I know you said the girls wanted a lift to the mainland."

"For which you'll be paid accordingly," agreed the male kabuki. "But there's something else first. Did Chen ever mention that he has contingency plans?"

"Ah. Yes, he did." Ronin fingered the chain he wore under his kimono's collar, pulling out the key attached to its end. "He gave me this."

Tariq raised an eyebrow. "I'm a little surprised he trusts you that much, but then again, you've been his best mercenary."

"We have a bit of an understanding." Ronin shrugged. "Besides, you're just saying that because you hired me to train some of the girls in combat. Jian's getting pretty good, by the way."

Tariq smiled at the mention of his daughter. "That's why I chose you to instruct them." He rose from his chair and headed to the door. "Ready to head to the vaults?"

* * *

After navigating several tunnels, doors, locks, and spells that Tariq deactivated, Ronin found himself in a small room with a table. Perched on its surface sat a strongbox, small pouch that looked suspiciously full of money, and note beside it. He picked up the paper first, skimming the calligraphy:

 _Ronin—either you're a better thief than we realized or something has gone wrong with one of Master Chen's plans. Should you free Chen from whatever he has gotten himself into (and myself, if you are reading this in my absence), he will be more than willing to pay off the rest of your debt. If you have any doubt of this, know that he asked me directly to include that last part. Consider this money a down payment. All relevant information is stored on the data drive in the box. We look forward to working with you again. –Clouse_

Ronin glanced in the bag and raised his eyebrows appreciatively. Maybe this turn of events wouldn't be such a disappointment after all. Gathering the table's contents, he rejoined Tariq outside the room.

* * *

It would have been too easy if the data drive hadn't been encrypted, but Ronin knew enough about hacking that it might as well have been the case.

He had returned to R.E.X. to study the drive after promising Tariq he'd transport the kabuki to Ninjago when he left. Now he reclined in the cockpit, studying the drive's files on his data pad. There were instructions for several different situations, ranging from "Kidnapped" to "Clouse's Spells" to "Death." Of greater interest was the "Cursed Realm" folder.

His eye widened as he skimmed the subfiles and documents within—if what he was reading was true, there was indeed a way to free Chen from the Cursed Realm through some artifacts called Elemental Forges and a "Primal Fulcrum." And, conveniently, Chen had left him a map to the Forges. Well, there was a part of his work cut out for him.

He returned to the main directory and scrolled through the other folders. Now "Possible Threats" sounded promising. The files within listed a few criminal organizations, the police, "Revenge Seekers," and several others, but he had a specific group in mind. And there it was: "Ninja." If the ninja had banished Chen and his followers to the Cursed Realm, they'd be the most likely to interfere with his plans, especially since they seemed bent on playing the heroes. There was too much riding on this job to leave anything to chance.

Ronin lowered the data pad, staring through the glass window in front of him to the jungle beyond. _More than willing to pay of my debt, huh?_ What would it be like, to have his debt gone? To have that fear of the Cursed Realm lifted from him…forever? He could feel the excitement, the first bit of hope he'd felt in a while, building inside. _Calm down_ , he snapped at himself. _First you need that money in your hand. Otherwise_ _all bets are off._ And from what he'd heard about the ninja, they'd make a large, obnoxious, and serious obstacle. He needed them out of the way if he wanted to succeed, and for that, he'd need a good plan.

Still, Ronin couldn't help whistling as he headed back toward Chen's palace some time later.

* * *

A/N: Ninjago's kabuki are an interesting lot, given that traditional kabuki is a type of dance-drama, the girls struck me more as geisha, and Garmadon called them jesters. So what, exactly, are the kabuki supposed to be and what's the lone male member's role in Chen's palace? Hence, my little headcanon, which might have some small degree of significance much later down the road...

And in case you're wondering who Rako [RAY-co] is, don't worry; you're not supposed to know him. Or rather, you'd only know him if I'd ever actually written the prequel story that's supposed to happen before this one. Oops. But my plan is to make things as clear and painless as possible in future chapters, so bear with me! That's been the problem with chapter 7- figuring out the ending of a story never written so I can incorporate it in this one. Fun stuff. Hopefully you all will like Rako...and some of the other surprises I have in store next chapter!


	7. The Wolves Among Us

**Chapter 7:** _The Wolves Among Us_

A/N: At long last, fall is here, pumpkin things are everywhere, and chapter 7 has finally arrived!

This chapter includes some dialogue and action straight from _Shadow of Ronin_ , which belongs to Lego and its writers. The chapter title is shamelessly inspired by the videogame _The Wolf Among Us_. I haven't played it, but I have been reading _Fables_ , the comic series its based on (if you're a fan of re-imagined fairy tales and _Once Upon a Time_ , this series does a better job than the show.)

With that out of the way, I hope you all enjoy the chapter!

* * *

They were surrounded, several rough, dangerous-looking men with various weapons pressing in on them. Pythor kept his expression neutral, refusing to show any unease. After all, Lloyd seemed completely relaxed, and he trusted the boy's judgment.

"I take it these are the friends you told me about?" Pythor asked, as the group suddenly broke into genuine grins, some moving forward to clap Lloyd appreciatively on the shoulder.

"Yep!" Lloyd replied, smiling broadly himself.

This was going to be a strange day indeed, Pythor decided.

* * *

 _About two weeks ago_

"So, tell me about this Rako." Pythor and Lloyd were in the former's kitchen, having since cleaned up all signs of the fire after Clouse had vanished. Pythor prepared food while Lloyd sat at the nearby table. "I already know you have a tendency to find strange friends—and stranger adventures—so this should be good. Especially if you're not going to help me cut vegetables."

"You told me you were taking care of dinner!"

"Well, _you_ certainly didn't offer." Pythor kept quiet for a moment before turning around to catch a look of mock outrage on Lloyd's face and chuckled. "Calm down, Lloyd. I don't need you unleashing your elemental power and destroying my humble abode. Or worse, all _my_ hard work in the kitchen!"

Lloyd rolled his eyes. "I can cut the vegetables, you know."

"No, no it's far too late for that now. These vegetables are my burden alone to bear. I wouldn't dare trouble the fabled Green Ninja with such trivial matters. All this now-loyal servant to Ninjago needs is, perhaps, a small story to help pass the time?"

Lloyd laughed. "Okay, okay, you win. I won't help you with the vegetables and it's all your fault. Happy?"

Pythor deftly diced a pepper. "Go on…"

There was a long pause from Lloyd, and when he finally spoke, it was in a much more serious, subdued tone. "I met Rako before me and the team went to Chen's island for the Tournament. At the time, we all thought Zane was…well…dead. And we took it hard. Everyone went different directions, but I stayed a ninja because what else was I going to do? Go to school?" He snorted. "Besides, we have a duty to Ninjago, and it didn't seem fair to Zane to abandon it. But with all the guys quitting, it made me start to doubt myself.

"The whole 'strange adventure' thing started when I just wanted to go for a walk and try to figure things out. I got captured instead."

"Lloyd, this is an unhealthy habit you're developing."

"Ha ha. Really funny, Pythor. At least my captors weren't Serpentine this time."

"Touché. So who was it, then?"

"Wolves. Well, not exactly wolves. More like werewolves, I guess. People who can turn into human-like wolves."

"Werewolves."

"Yep."

"Werewolves." Pythor snickered.

"Says the snake with arms."

"You wound me, Lloyd."

"Do you want to hear about Rako or not?"

"And now you're adding salt to the wound…"

"No, because you're the one with the salt. Since you made such a fuss about making dinner."

Pythor turned, one hand clutching his heart. "And now you're going for the kill! Who knew the Green Ninja was so cruel?"

Lloyd tried to keep a straight face at that. "You brought this upon yourself."

"You pitiless fiend!" Pythor swayed and braced himself against the counter with his free hand. "How can you stand to look at yourself in the mirror?"

"Pretty easy. Just like this." Lloyd stood up, but by now his façade had cracked and he was laughing as he sat back down.

Pythor smirked and turned back to the broccoli he was working on. "So far you haven't mentioned Rako. Is he one of these…werewolves?"

"Yeah, but it's a little complicated. Like I told Clouse, all the wolves were under a spell when I showed up. It trapped them in their wolf form and forced them to obey the enemies who'd snuck into their camp. Except for Rako. The main guy who took over the wolves, Sirk, forced Rako to actually cast the spell on the wolves. Sirk made sure all the wolves knew Rako did it and that Rako couldn't turn into his wolf form."

"So they all blamed Rako? As far as schemes go, that's actually not a bad idea."

"Really, Pythor?" The Anacondrai could practically hear Lloyd rolling his eyes.

"Continue, continue." Pythor waved his hand.

Lloyd sighed. "Yes, they blamed Rako. They thought he'd betrayed them to Sirk. And Rako was kept away from the others whenever he wasn't needed, so he couldn't try to get their trust back. Plus, Sirk and his men forbid Rako from saying exactly what happened."

"And when you say 'forbid'…"

"They didn't use magic on Rako, but they…" Lloyd hesitated. "They hurt him. They wore him down with words and…and pain, just enough so he'd be scared of fighting back."

Pythor glanced sharply at Lloyd. The boy looked decidedly troubled. Pythor sighed, set down his cutting knife, and slithered over to join Lloyd at the table. "Unfortunately, fear and cruelty are powerful weapons, Lloyd."

Lloyd nodded. "I know. Those were the weapons of the Overlord too."

Pythor cringed. "…Yes."

"But that's the thing," Lloyd continued. "As strong as fear is, hope's stronger. And that's what Rako had, still inside him after all that. Hope that one day he'd find a way to break the Curse he put on his friends. Hope that he could undo the wrong he'd done, even if it wasn't really his fault. Hope that maybe if he could save them, his friends would forgive him. He just didn't know how."

"And you helped him figure it out?"

"Kinda. I just gave him a nudge in the right direction; he did the rest. And then he, Layla, and I teamed up and broke the Curse. Sirk got away, though."

"Layla?"

"Oh, yeah, she's the one who kidnapped me. But she's not a wolf, just a mercenary who was working for Sirk. She didn't really want to work for him, but…" He shrugged. "She's pretty cool."

Pythor raised an eyebrow. "'Pretty cool'?"

"Yeah, her and Rako both. We make a good team." He paused. "Wait a moment. Were you suggesting—?"

"I suggested nothing, Lloyd. Just made an observation. But like I said," he continued before Lloyd could protest, "you have the strangest friends." He leaned back in the chair, considering Lloyd's story. "Why _werewolves_ , though?"

"You're still going on about the werewolves?"

"Yes," Pythor huffed. "I've never heard of werewolves prowling around Ninjago. Where did they all come from?"

"Magic, I think. Their leader's the one who gave them the wolf form or something. They're all part of a group dedicated to dealing with some of the crime around Ninjago. But they stay out of sight because they don't want everyone to know about them."

"Hmm. Unlike you ninja."

"We stay out of sight! When we need to, anyway."

"My point exactly."

"And what's that supposed to—" Lloyd paused suddenly, sniffing the air. "Is something burning?"

Pythor leapt from his seat and hurried to the stove. The peppers and broccoli, which he'd been sautéing while prepping the last vegetables, had started to turn black—not yet smoking, but no longer edible. He quickly turned off the stove, yanking the pan to a different burner. "That was one of my favorite pans," he grumbled.

"Hey, Pythor?" Lloyd said from beside him.

"Yes?"

There was a long enough pause to make Pythor look at Lloyd. The boy had a mischievous light in his eyes and a cell phone in his hand. "I've got dinner taken care of."

Pythor sighed. "Why do I even bother going against you, Green Ninja?"

* * *

 _Now_

After the men had found Lloyd and Pythor, two had offered to bring them to their camp. So here they all were, moving through an impressively well-hidden site. Pythor still couldn't tell if their escorts were werewolves— _werewolves, really!_ —or not. One, named Jackson, had short black hair, a clean-shaven face, and wore a multi-pocketed khaki vest with a black long-sleeve shirt, pants, and combat boots. His counterpart, Akiva, had longer, slightly messy light brown hair and goatee, and wore dark clothes as well. Though each had a smart, observant look to him and seemed familiar with combat, Pythor couldn't find anything inherently wolf-like about them: no furry ears or glinting eyes or fangs in their smiles or clawed fingers; nothing canid in how they moved or talked, either.

That was most odd.

Lloyd had decided the best way to find Rako was to find the wolves. So he and Pythor had returned Wu's van from their grocery shopping trip, let him know Lloyd'd be with Pythor for a while, gathered some supplies, and left to track down the wolves. But of course the wolves had long since abandoned their former hideout, and with them being masters of concealment, Lloyd and Pythor couldn't just fly around on dragon-back expecting to stumble across them. They'd had to search on foot the old-fashioned way, and Pythor suspected they had only come across the camp because they'd been _allowed_ to.

The camp itself seemed well-organized, dotted with tents and a couple more permanent structures and a few men and a couple women going about whatever activities they had. As their escorts continued forward, people kept greeting Lloyd. Pythor had to make an effort not to chuckle at Lloyd's embarrassment—apparently, after all these years, the Green Ninja still hadn't gotten used to praise for his heroics. For Pythor's part, he was mostly ignored aside from the occasional nod, but he didn't mind.

Their guides led them into a small wooden building in the shadow of a large hill. "Our leader's been keen to meet you," Jackson said. "He'll be here shortly."

"Is Rako around?" Lloyd asked. "I need to talk with him."

"He's out gathering plants or something," replied Akiva. "I'll let him know soon as he gets back though."

Lloyd nodded his thanks as they left, while Pythor looked around the room they were in. A table sat in the opposite corner from them, covered in various, labeled maps of Ninjago with some tack-marked maps also mounted on the wall around it. A door to the right led to a hallway. Some logs lay in an unlit fireplace across from it. On the back wall, a katana hung on either side of a black banner with a wolf's head crest in the center. Something about the symbol seemed familiar, but Pythor couldn't place it. He looked over at Lloyd instead.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself."

"Huh?" Lloyd started slightly.

"I mean, I never realized the Green Ninja had such a dedicated fan base!"

"Very funny, Pythor."

"But at least you're not trying to make up for your years in ego. Kai's bad enough from what I hear."

Lloyd tried to bite off a snicker. "Kai's not _that_ bad—"

"Well, well. Look what the grundle dragged in," a voice cut in.

Lloyd and Pythor whirled to find a dark haired, pale-skinned man leaning against the wall: Shade, Elemental Master of Shadow. His arms were casually crossed across his black cuirass—which bore the same wolf symbol as the banner.

"Shoulda figured, though. Only the Green Ninja's stubborn enough to try to solve everyone's problems. I just wish you'd told me _before_ the Tournament. Might of made things easier, huh?" He smirked and joined them.

"Shade? _You're_ the leader of the Kage Brotherhood?" Lloyd shook his head. "I should've known—of course the Master of _Shadow_ is in charge of a secret organization."

"Hmmph. Guess we're even then. And good to see you again, Pythor," he added.

What was that? People actually _glad_ to see him? "Likewise," Pythor managed, not quite able to keep the surprise from his voice. "Seems it's a small world, eh?"

"Tell me about it. I heard you're looking for Rako?"

Lloyd nodded. "I haven't seen him or any of the other wolves in a while. With all the chaos from fighting Chen finally over, I figured I'd stop in, say hi."

A long pause for a moment. Then, "Kid, anyone ever teach you how to lie?"

Lloyd flushed. "Uh, they didn't offer any formal classes, but I kept getting points off for not doing it well." He shrugged self-consciously, not meeting Shade or Pythor's eyes. "They told me 'the mere twisting of one's words is an inadequate and feeble attempt toward true malevolence.' But I guess I'm kinda a slow learner."

"He went to a boarding school dedicated to training evil-doers," Pythor clarified, catching Shade's look of confusion.

"You—wait… What?" Shade glanced from Pythor to Lloyd incredulously, then burst out laughing. " _You_? Mister do-gooder? As a villain? That's…that's great."

"Yes, he was quite a handful back in the day. Especially if it involved taking candy."

"Come on, you guys," Lloyd grumbled, trying to hide a smile as Shade had to lean against a wall for support, unable to stop laughing.

"All hail the fearsome Candy Bandit!" continued Pythor. "We are but your loyal henchmen."

"Oh, _now_ you're willing to work for me?"

"Maybe—" Shade managed between chuckles, "maybe you can recruit the Master of Earth. He likes cake or something, right?"

That was the final straw for Lloyd. He burst out laughing, Pythor joining a few moments later, and the three of them found they couldn't stop for a good long while.

* * *

"Hey boss, we're about to head your way. We're close to the monastery." Ronin's ear comm crackled to life, Shioru's voice as clear as though the gray-haired hireling stood in front of him.

"Good. Let me know when you're in place and don't forget to herd them outside. I'll take it from there, and you slip out with the rest. _Don't_ get yourself caught."

"Relax, boss. We know the drill. See you on the flip side—with our pay."

"Job's not done yet," Ronin muttered as Shioru switched off. The mercenary-thief stood on part of the monastery's rooftop overlooking an entrance that led to its main training area. He'd spent the last couple weeks researching the ninja, working out the finer details of his plan, and mobilizing the resources he'd need to complete it. Part of it had included hiring Shioru and his men. Part of it had also included scoping out the ninjas' current base. After confirming his men would be in position today, he'd spent the early morning getting everything set up. Now, he just had to wait.

Ronin sighed and stretched, bouncing restlessly on his feet. A faint clanking noise sounded as the plates of his black armor brushed together. He'd commissioned it a couple years back to draw attention away from his more recognizable orange and green one. The helmet and face mask replaced his customary red conical hat and concealed his eyepatch. Though he preferred his other armor, he liked the sense of anonymity this one gave and its sleek, sharp style.

Everything was in place: explosive shurikens on his belt, grappling gun in its holster, flame thrower on his arm fully fueled. Glaive collapsed in its small sheath on the back of his waist. Explosive charges planted. The path he'd need to take clearly etched in his mind. His men on the way. Body taut with anticipation of the chase—and hunt.

Yeah, he hated waiting.

Still, he know the value of patience. And oh, did he have a show planned for these ninja with a finale that would keep them occupied for a while. He couldn't help but grin beneath his face mask. _They'll never know what hit 'em._

* * *

"And then Jay shouts 'Agh! My pants!' because the snake bit them off! Which made for some great comic relief—even the cultists we were fighting thought so."

The story ran smoothly off Kai's lips, but Jay was less than impressed.

"That's not what happened at all!" the blue ninja exclaimed, shaking an indignant fist in Kai's direction.

Kai raised his eyebrows from across the monastery's living room where he stood. "Who's telling this story—me or you?"

"You! But you're telling it all wrong!" After all, comic relief hardly meant "let's make up embarrassing stories about Jay."

"Jay is correct," Zane cut in. "I was still Chen's captive when you first went to his temple."

 _Ah. The power of logic—which Kai is definitely missing right now_. Jay smirked.

"And I doubt everyone was complementing you all the time, _brother_ ," Nya added before Kai could respond.

 _Teamwork, yes! Now for the grand finale, the main problem with Kai's story…_ "And most importantly," Jay finished, "Chen's snake only bit a hole in my pants." He turned around, pointing at the spot where that stupid snake had got him. "A _ho-le_ in my _pa-nts_."

Nya facepalmed. "My hero."

Kai laughed. "I didn't see you correcting Chen or Clouse about that."

"That's because we didn't want them to find out!"

"Ahem."

Jay leapt in surprise as Sensei Wu seemed to materialize at the edge of the room. _Oh great, I just stuck my butt out at Sensei. I bet that was all part of Kai's plan! I swear, if I get extra chores for this…_ "Heeey."

"It is time for training. I want to keep making sure you didn't get rusty during your recent…holiday." He glanced at Kai with a faintly amused expression before leaving.

"Tell one story…" grumbled Kai.

Cole jumped up from his chair, heading after Wu. "'Holiday'?" he scoffed. "I had to work in a noodle mine!"

"And I am made of titanium," Zane huffed. "I do not rust."

Jay chuckled as they followed Cole. "You know he means he wants to test our skills, bolt-brain."

They filed out into the outdoor training arena. Hopefully Sensei would let them at least use weapons or maybe even Spinjitsu this time, since he was still on his "no elemental powers" kick. Jay glanced around the arena and frowned, nudging Kai. "Where's Lloyd? Why doesn't he have to practice?" Lloyd had been gone for the past couple weeks.

Kai paused mid-step. "Uh, you know why, Jay."

 _Ohhhhh. I'm an idiot._ "Oh. Right. Sorry." Wu hadn't talked much about why Lloyd had left or what he was up to: _"Lloyd needs some time to find his inner self and expand his training."_ Which the team had translated to _Lloyd's really upset about his dad and needs some space._

It was still hard for Jay to wrap his head around Lloyd not being able to handle his dad's banishment. True, if that had been Jay's dad… well, he'd much rather not think about it. But the thing was, Lloyd had made it through so many other stresses and bad turns of luck without cracking. Heck, the kid'd been the only one to keep it together after Zane's "death." And somewhere along the way, Lloyd had turned into their leader, sense of direction, encourager. Yeah, it was a lot to put on anyone's shoulders, but Lloyd had done so well for so long, it was easy to forget he actually had his own problems. Or that they could overwhelm him, same as anyone else.

Or that green was just a color, not a mark of invincibility.

"Lloyd has left us for a time," Wu said as Jay fell in next to Kai. "When he is truly needed, he will return. Until then, you will have to train harder to make up for his absence."

Okay, so Lloyd might not be around for a bit. He could accept that. But did they really have to have the extra training? And did Kai and Cole have to look _quite_ so excited? Jay groaned.

Apparently not only did _they_ have to be so excited, but so did everyone else, because suddenly Wu gave a disapproving clear of his throat while the others glared at him. "…yeah!" Jay quickly corrected. "I was saying 'Aw yeah!' like I was excited. Woo-hoo?"

Fortunately, Zane kept an awkward silence from forming. "Will we be training against each other today, Sensei?"

"No you will not, Titanium Ninja!" a familiar drawl cut in from across the arena. There stood a man in brown robes and outrageous hairdo: Dareth. "You will be training against—" He paused, and endeavored to copy one of the ninjas' training stances before wobbling and losing his balance. From the doorway behind him, several men in karate uniforms of their own rushed out. "—me! The brown ninja! Or more specifically, my brand new class of adult students!"

The men moved smoothly through several positions with an impressive ease, far better than Dareth. Then again, Jay reflected, it was too easy to outdo Dareth.

"Pretty good, huh?" Dareth continued, sauntering past the students to stand before the ninja. "And they're really quick learners—it's almost like they've been trained in martial arts." He ended with a casual somersault and raised an eyebrow at his audience.

Wu frowned, eyes narrowing. "Dareth, are these the students you told me about?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Destroy the ninja!" one gray-haired man suddenly shouted, brandishing a staff. The other "students" followed suit with their own staffs.

Dareth glanced over his shoulder. "Oh, eggrolls."

Jay couldn't agree more.

* * *

A/N: So. There be werewolves. And Pythor will just have to accept that. I'm still debating on Shade's organization being the "Kage Brotherhood" ( _kage_ means "shadow" in Japanese - real original, I know), but I guess we'll roll with it for now, especially since the name isn't a huge plot point.

Many thanks to my beta, Astrid16, for bearing with me on this chapter and suggesting to change my summary of Rako's backstory to a dialogue between Lloyd and Pythor - which jumped from a couple paragraphs to a couple pages! No thanks to Pythor for trying to steal the show again, but I suppose that's to be expected. ;P

Chapter 8 is in the works already, so hopefully it'll get posted sooner! You'll get to meet Rako, have your first glimpse of the Cursed Realm, and see some _SoR_ action in earnest.

As always, I'd love to hear what you all thought of the chapter, and thanks to those of you who've been reviewing!


	8. Chasing Answers

**Chapter 8:** _Chasing Answers_

A/N: Well, this took way longer to post than I'd hoped. Buuut, it's a lengthy chapter, so hopefully this'll compensate? ;)

* * *

"You're close," the green-haired woman across from him said, "but so far you've only slowed the effects of the poison."

Rako sighed, absently running a hand through his bangs and eyeing with irritation the small vial of translucent teal liquid on the table between them. "Slowing isn't good enough. I need to stop it."

"Relax," replied Toxikita, leaning back in her chair. "Fixating on this isn't gonna solve it faster. And you've been making a lot of progress so far. You're teaching me too, you know."

"But if one of the others actually got poisoned, we won't have time—"

Toxikita extended one hand over the poison and lifted her fingers, teal-green vapors rising out of the liquid and dissolving into her green-flecked skin. "You got me too, kid. You don't have to put it all on yourself."

He opened his mouth to counter that she might not always be around to help, but paused as he caught faint footsteps and an odd slithering sound outside. "We've got visitors."

Toxikita quirked an eyebrow. "My, what big ears you have."

Rako rolled his eyes as he went to the door of his study and yanked it open. Then blinked in surprise at a large, white Serpentine that filled the doorway, one hand halfway poised to knock.

Rako'd only ever read about Anacondrai. He knew about their prowess on the battlefield, their cunning, and their natural abilities, along with the distinguishing traits of the other Serpentine tribes. But books, as he realized increasingly over the years, could only prepare you so much for the world. Of course he expected Anacondrai to be large, but the length of this one's neck alone…

"Good day," the Anacondrai said, recovering quicker than Rako. "Are you Rako, by any chance?"

It took Rako a few seconds before the question registered. "Um…what?" _An Anacondrai, legend in the flesh, knows my name…how? And how the blazes did he get past the sentries? Invisibility?_

"Hey, Rako!" A familiar, blond-haired boy pushed in front of the Serpentine with a grin. "We were just stopping by for a bit. You have a moment?"

"Lloyd? What—how—you're with _him_?" He nodded at the Anacondrai. _Idiot. Is that any way to greet your friend?_ "Eh, sorry…"

The Anacondrai, who'd slithered back to give Lloyd more room, shrugged. "Don't worry, I get that a lot."

"Oh, hush," Lloyd snickered. "Rako, this is Pythor—"

"Yes, where are my manners? Pythor P. Chumsworth, at your service." Pythor gave a slight bow.

Rako looked from Pythor to Lloyd slowly. So this Anacondrai was a friend of Lloyd's? Well, that would explain why the guards let him in. "Okay. Right. Um, nice to meet you, Pythor. I—wait." He turned to Lloyd, eyebrows raised. "This is Pythor? _The_ Pythor?"

"Yeah, but he's on our side now. A lot's happened since when we last saw each other."

"Apparently." Rako shook his head, bemused. Lloyd, joking with the very Serpentine who'd repeatedly betrayed him and handed him over to the Overlord? That was impressive; Rako wouldn't have been able to do the same. What could have changed the Anacondrai's mind? Being defeated all the time? Or, hold on a minute… "Are you the Anacondrai who helped Shade, Lloyd, and the others defeat Chen?"

"News travels fast, I see," Pythor grinned.

"Pythor, Shade is Rako's boss."

"I knew that."

"Hey, Rako, you gonna let the guys in or what?"

Lloyd peered around Rako. "Who… Oh, hey Tox! You're here too!"

Rako stepped aside to let his guests in, unable to keep a smile off his face. He'd almost forgot how infectious Lloyd's upbeat personality was.

"What, you thought all the Masters just disappeared after the Tournament?" Toxikita snorted, her boots propped on the table, hands laced behind her spiked choker. "Shade recruited me after the battle. Figured my talents'd be useful, and he's got a nice little set-up here. Rako and I are trying to develop some antidotes to different poisons." She gestured at the now-clear vial of water.

"Hey, come on," Rako chided as he closed the door. "Feet off the table, we talked about this."

"Oh, lighten up." But she set her legs down.

"Our antidote work's rather tricky, though," Rako picked up from where she'd left off. "Toxikita knows how to make several different kinds of poison and can tell how they're being affected, but she doesn't know what exactly stops most of them, besides using her power to draw them out."

"I told you to call me Tox, kid," she grumbled. "But yeah, we're just doing good, old-fashioned empirical science here: trial and error." She stretched her arms and stood, heading toward the door. "You all look like you'll be here a while, and I've been sitting around enough for today. Let me know if you do any more antidote work, Rako. I'll go check on Ash."

"Wait, Ash is here too?" Lloyd interjected.

"I'll tell him you said hi." With a slight wave, she left.

Lloyd stared at the door for a moment before turning back to Rako. "Just how many Elemental Masters did Shade bring back here?

"Only Ash and Toxikita. She's mainly been working with me on this antidote project, and Ash helps with scouting and guard duty."

"Gotcha. Well, I'm glad to see at least some of the other Masters still sticking together. It's nice to know our teamwork made an impact."

"Of course it did," Pythor spoke up, glancing somewhat sharply at Lloyd. "You know what would have happened if Chen won."

"We weren't the ones to actually stop Chen, though." Lloyd shrugged. "But anyway. I'm glad you stayed with the wolves, Rako." He paused, taking in Rako's workspace: shelves filled with books and writing supplies; some fresh herbs hanging in a corner near a fireplace, a cabinet with neatly-labeled potion vials and ingredients; a few windows lighting the polished wooden walls and floor, and a door leading to off to a small bedroom. "Your study space is pretty sweet, too."

Rako only half-heard Lloyd's compliment—it wasn't like his friend to change the subject so abruptly. "What happened in the battle with Chen?"

Lloyd hesitated, glancing away. "I… That's kinda why we're here, actually." He noticed the chair Toxikita had vacated and sat down, studying the vial on the table with feigned interest.

Pythor shot a concerned look at Lloyd before turning to examine the books on Rako's shelves, though Rako was certain the Anacondrai was listening intently. From what Rako could tell Pythor didn't seem to be the source of Lloyd's unease: Lloyd seemed to enjoy Pythor's company and likely wouldn't have dragged him along if his presence was unwanted.

"What do you know about the Cursed Realm?" Lloyd finally asked.

Rako raised an eyebrow. Why would Lloyd be interested in the Cursed Realm? Did he hear it mentioned somewhere, or did someone get Cursed? Or did it relate to a new threat Lloyd's ninja team was facing? He sighed inwardly: either way, it was a business question. He wouldn't have minded catching up first. But he'd humor Lloyd. "A lot, actually. To start with, it hasn't always been Cursed. It connected the different Realms, but—"

"Realms?" interrupted Pythor. He held one of Rako's books, _Collected Accounts of the Serpentine_.

"Other lands beyond Ninjago that are normally hard to get to. What used to be the Cursed Realm linked them all, like a master gateway. The problem was that anyone could go through it—including the Overlord. He wanted to conquer the Realms and use the gateway as a staging point for his army. To stop him, that area was Cursed, with all the gateways sealed and the Overlord and his army trapped inside."

"So how did the Overlord escape to fight the First Spinjitsu Master?" Lloyd paused. "Or, wait, was this all after the Overlord was defeated by him?"

"No, you had it the first time. The Overlord was trapped hundreds of years ago. But much later, when your grandfather split Ninjago from the mainland—"

"Wait—split? I thought he created it."

"He did both. It's a bit confusing, I know, but by splitting Ninjago from the rest of the continent, he effectively created a new land. And that was enough to unbalance the spell on the Cursed Realm and let the Overlord out."

"Oh." Lloyd frowned in thought, resting his arms on the table. "But…why split Ninjago off?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't come across much that talks about it—not that I was looking for it."

"War, possibly." Pythor glanced up from Rako's book. "Perhaps they were about to lose to a superior force that wouldn't have treated them well. After all, you only banished Chen to an island and confined the Serpentine to tombs after we lost. But if we had won, well…I really don't know what old Arcturus had planned, but at the very least, we would've asserted ourselves as Ninjago's leadership and privileged Serpentine over humans."

"Or maybe he wanted to stop a war from happening," mused Rako. "Either way, it was enough to disrupt the Realm Seal."

"Say…" Pythor was fully looking up from the book now, expression curious. "Were Serpentine native to just the Ninjago bit or the whole place?"

"I'm not sure. It wouldn't surprise me if several still lived on the mainland."

"Mm, I see." Pythor returned to the bookshelves oddly fast.

Rako shrugged and turned back at Lloyd. "So that's the general background. What else did you need to know? And what for?"

Lloyd fidgeted before finally glancing at Pythor, who nodded. "Could… Could you bring someone back from the Cursed Realm?"

Oh. That would definitely explain Lloyd's sudden interest in the topic. But given the reputation of the Cursed Realm and dark magic, who would be important enough for Lloyd to risk his reputation as a hero to save?

"Why?" Rako's voice came out sharper than he intended.

"My dad's there." Lloyd finally looked up, and it startled Rako to see so much pain in his friend's eyes.

"Lloyd, I... I… Blast it, I'm sorry." Rako finally sat down. Like "sorry" could really help. Especially when he'd heard so much about Garmadon while Lloyd'd been the Wolves' captive: it was clear Lloyd adored his father and thought nothing but the best of him. And to have Garmadon finally restored from the Devourer's venom just to see him get Cursed…

Then a more uncomfortable thought hit Rako. "How…did your dad wind up in the Cursed Realm?" _Please don't say Clouse, please don't say Clouse..._

"It's how we were able to stop Chen and his army. There was a spell that would let the spirits of the Anacondrai Generals free, but the only way to do that was for the person who originally Cursed them to take their place. And that was…my dad. So I read the spell and I Cursed him, and the Generals defeated Chen, but…" He trailed off.

"I think the term is Pyrrhic victory," Pythor murmured, resting a hand on Lloyd's shoulder.

"What's that mean?" asked Lloyd.

"When a victory costs too much to really be considered one."

Lloyd frowned and shook his head. "No, losing would have been worse. Chen would have enslaved everyone and, I don't know, he was crazy. He _had_ to be stopped. It was the only way, and even if…even if my dad's not here anymore, no one was seriously hurt. I'd do the same thing again." He sighed. "I just…didn't expect winning to feel so empty."

Rako grimaced. Lloyd had intimated feeling the same way about Zane's defeat of the Overlord. "First Zane, and now Garmadon…"

Lloyd cocked his head. "What about Zane?"

"You said he sacrificed himself to defeat the Overlord," replied Rako, feeling a bit confused by Lloyd's response.

"Oh!" Lloyd perked up. "That's right, we haven't talked in a while. Zane's alive! He was able to rebuild himself, but Chen held him prisoner and used him as bait for us."

"Zane's alive? What? That's great!"

Lloyd nodded. "Yeah. It's good to have him back."

"So," Pythor cut in. "Can you open the Cursed Realm and free Garmadon?"

Lloyd, who'd begun to relax a little after they'd started talking about Zane, sobered, his expression intent.

Rako leaned back, considering. "I can't make any promises yet, but I have several ideas. Hmm. The Realm Seal is strong, but not impossible to break. I just need a little time to work out the best way to approach this. We'd have to trick the safeguards, minimize any magical backlash, make sure we don't accidentally suck ourselves or Ninjago in, definitely make sure we get the right person…"

He jumped up and headed over to the bookshelves, pulling out relevant books and his old research journals. Then he grabbed a blank journal from another shelf, balanced it on the now sizeable stack, and eased them onto the table.

A few years back, he'd just been Clouse's naïve apprentice. Researching, learning new spells, practicing under Clouse's watchful eye—all that had been invigorating. His challenges had come from learning, and there was always an answer to be found if you pushed hard enough.

Then Clouse had sent him away. _"You're too sheltered here—you need to experience the world. Why learn magic if you never apply it?"_ They'd argued at length about it before Rako finally left. And just when he thought he'd found a new home with Shade and the Wolves, Sirk arrived and everything went straight to the Underworld. From there, all of Rako's research had been either under Sirk's strict direction or done in secret desperation to find something, anything to help his friends. There'd been no joy or satisfaction in what he learned.

Rako had tasted a hint of his old spark when he started the antidote research, but it paled in comparison to this exciting jolt he felt now. Here, finally, was a straightforward intellectual challenge that tapped into all the research and theoretical musings he'd been amassing over the years. No coercion or despair weighing him down; no paranoia and fear stifling his ability to work. Just him, his books, and his mind.

Blast, he'd missed feeling like this.

"Clouse was right," Pythor commented, an amused tone in his voice. "I admit, I'm a little surprised. But in a good way, of course."

The inkwell Rako'd just snagged slipped from his fingers, splattering black ink across the floor.

" _Clouse_ sent you?" He fixed the Anacondrai with a sharp gaze. "Since when does he care about saving the Cursed?"

"I would imagine now, considering the old chap got himself Cursed."

" _What?_ " That idiot. The _idiot_! Rako's hands curled into frustrated fists at his side as he glared at the ink-spattered ground. "I warned him! I _knew_ this was going to happen!"

He took a deep breath, relaxed his hands, and pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. "That's…why I started studying the Cursed Realm," he admitted in a subdued tone. "So I could _do_ something when this happened."

"We, uh, promised Clouse we'd get him out too if you were able to free my dad," Lloyd said.

Rako stared at Lloyd for a moment. Free Clouse too? He'd finally get to see him again. He could ask why he'd really been sent away—the Tournament and Anacondrai plan? Or Rako's shortcomings? Did Clouse even miss him? And… what would Clouse think of all that happened with the wolves— _would he even want to be around me?_ But still, Clouse had been Rako's teacher, and, at least until he'd sent Rako off, they'd been close.

"Rako? You okay?"

Rako started slightly. "Hmm?" How long had he gotten sidetracked? _Come on, pull yourself together. This isn't about you._ "Oh. Yeah, that's fine. We'll focus on your dad first, though; that'll be difficult enough as it is." He sighed and reached down to pick up the inkwell. "So how did you guys run into Clouse?"

Lloyd hesitated. "It's a little complicated. He worked with Chen at the Tournament, but then got Cursed before the final battle. Pythor thought he'd be the best person to ask about my dad, though, and then Clouse sent us to you. I didn't know _he_ was the teacher you told me about, though!"

"Yeah. Yeah, he was." And a good one at that, but in the end, he'd waved Rako aside. "What did he say about me?"

"Not much. Just that you'd studied the Cursed Realm a lot."

"He seemed a little disappointed you weren't his apprentice anymore," added Pythor.

"He sent me away. If he wants me to return, he can find me and tell me himself." He paused, catching the harshness of his tone, and softened it as he continued. "Speaking of which—how'd you contact him if he was Cursed?"

"Are you familiar with Spiritseeker Tea?"

"Ah. Of course. Hmm." Rako grabbed his empty journal and a quill from the table, dipping the latter in the dregs of ink and scribbling a few notes. "I could use a sample of the ingredients, if you can manage it."

Pythor nodded. "We can do that."

"Great. I'll start working on a way to open the Cursed Realm and free Garmadon. That'll take a few days' time. Faster if you can get me that tea sample." Rako paused. "Why are you two looking at me like that?"

Lloyd and Pythor had incredulous expressions bordering on comical.

"We're not complaining, but you just happen to have the secret to undoing what sounds like one of the most complex spells in Ninjago's history?" asked Pythor. "One that no one, not even the Overlord, was able to break?"

Rako chuckled. "Well, it's only my life's work. I've got years of research on this. Pretty much since I learned what Cursing was as a kid. But beyond that, we have some other factors in our favor: One, we're not in the Cursed Realm. The spell's much stronger on the inside. That's why stuff like Cursing and Spiritseeker Tea works—the spell's designed to keep things in, not so much out. Two, practically everyone who knows about the Cursed Realm wants to keep it shut, and the attitude is that anyone who's Cursed deserves it. So that, few people knowing about it, and the stigma on dark magic, have made work on the Cursed Realm rare. And three, I can make use of your powers, and the Overlord definitely did not have the Green Ninja helping him."

Suddenly Lloyd had pulled him into a tight hug. Rako froze for a moment, thrown off guard, then relaxed and patted Lloyd's back. "You okay there?"

Lloyd drew back, looking embarrassed. "Yeah," he replied, voice heavy with emotion. "It's just, you know, I thought he was, you know, gone. For good." He swiped self-consciously at his eyes. "I…thank you."

Rako half-smiled. "It's about time I started using my skills to actually help people again."

"Hey, that stuff with the wolves wasn't your fau—" began Lloyd, surprise and concern in his voice.

"Yeah, it was. But that's in the past. This is the future. And I'm really glad I can help."

Besides, Lloyd had helped Rako more than the ninja had realized. He'd given Rako his life back. Saving Garmadon was the least he could do in return.

Lloyd frowned. "Rako, I know what happened. So does Shade and all the wolves. No one's blaming you. So why blame yourself?"

Rako sighed. "Look, can we talk about this later? I really don't want to argue about this. Please."

Everyone kept saying it wasn't Rako's fault the Wolves had been Cursed. Yet in the end, Sirk hadn't been the one to cast that spell. Rako had. Shade and the others might forgive him, even empathize— _"We were just as much prisoners as you,"_ Jackson had said—but the truth remained. He'd done a lot of harm to people he cared about. How was he supposed to ignore that?

Lloyd sighed, looking like he still wanted to say something, but Pythor put a hand on the ninja's shoulder. "I have an easier question for you to answer, Rako," Pythor said.

"Shoot."

"Are you indeed a werewolf? Could you show us? To be honest, I thought you, at least, would be…" he cast about for the right word. "Eh, furrier?"

"Pythor!" Lloyd exclaimed, giving Pythor a sharp look and stifling a laugh while Rako shook his head in slight amusement. "Really?"

The Anacondrai shrugged. "What? I think it's a perfectly reasonable request."

Rako glanced at his reflection in the nearby window: jagged bangs framing his face, the rest of his dark brown hair pulled back in a low ponytail. Gold hoop earrings glinting slightly in the light. Gray, short-sleeved coat with a high collar over a dark leather cuirass. No, Shade's Wolves didn't look particularly wolf-like, but that was the point: to be Wolf was an advantage, not a permanent state.

At least, it shouldn't be. Sirk had thought otherwise. Rako couldn't help a shudder and turned back to the others.

By now, Lloyd and Pythor had somehow engaged in a shoving contest. Pythor's tail was coated in ink, and splots dotted Lloyd's gi. "Hey, cut it out," said Rako. "It's bad enough I have to clean up that stuff, but I don't want it on my books!"

Lloyd and Pythor paused, a guilty look on Lloyd's face. "He started it."

"I did not!" retorted Pythor.

"Guys," Rako cut in before the conversation could devolve. "I'm ending it. And to answer your question, Pythor, I'll show you, but let me get started on the Cursed Realm stuff first. Fair?"

"Oh, alright."

"We'll get out of your hair then," Lloyd said.

"Don't you mean fur?"

"Pythor!" Lloyd started pushing the Anacondrai toward the door. "Sorry, Rako."

Rako hid a smile as he opened the door for them. Lloyd paused in the doorway after Pythor went outside. "Sometimes I wonder about that guy."

"He's fine. As long as he sticks with you, he shouldn't get thrown out."

Lloyd raised an eyebrow. "We'll see."

"And let Shade or me or one of the others know if you guys need anything. Place to sleep, tour of the camp, you name it."

"Sure. You try not to work yourself too hard though, okay? I don't need an immediate answer, so, you know, at least eat and sleep normally?"

Rako rolled his eyes. "Don't worry about me."

"Hey, I'm just trying to help." Lloyd sighed. "But… thanks again."

Rako nodded. "Of course."

Lloyd headed off, scolding Pythor for his bad manners and leaving Rako to fully focus on this new challenge.

* * *

With a ninja's training came rapid reflexes. Kai's katana hissed out of its scabbard as the others likewise drew their preferred weapons. For once, Kai appreciated their extra training time, since they generally didn't wear weapons in the monastery itself. He leapt forward at one of their attackers, a sharp-eyed, gray-haired man, who blocked him before darting back and signaling to the other men.

The fake students retreated toward the entrance leading outside, staves still held forward.

"They're trying to get a strong defensive position!" Zane warned. "That door will act as a bottleneck."

"Then good thing we're not regular ninja," Cole grinned. He slammed both fists into the ground, and the earth surged toward their opponents, slamming into them, sending them flying out the door like tenpins. Cole straightened and pumped his fists triumphantly. "Strike!"

Jay ran toward the door, nunchucks in hand. "Let's show Sensei Wu we've still got what it takes!"

Quite the attitude change from a few minutes ago, Kai noted. Still, he needed no further invitation to continue the fight.

Outside, the men had started to recover. A couple managed to get back into the training area, but Kai trusted Cole and Zane would take care of them. Meanwhile those still outside hadn't gotten the chance to regroup. Kai didn't let them, darting forward past the effective range of the bo staffs, trying to render his opponents unconscious with careful hits, or at least make them not eager to attack him again. Spinjitsu proved a useful ally, too.

Jay was similarly engaged, and together they made quick work of the "students." Well, all except the gray-haired one who appeared to be the leader. He shouted "Now!" and several more men emerged from scattered hiding places nearby: behind bushes, buildings, even the roof. These, at least, didn't bother trying to trick the ninja into lowering their guard, since they had helmets, black uniforms, and katanas. _How did we not notice these guys sooner?_

"Uh oh. More 'students'!" called Jay.

"Then let's teach 'em a lesson!" Kai responded. Sure, they were outnumbered, but what were a few men compared to armies of Skulkin, Serpentine, and Stone Warriors? This was cake.

It was as if just the thought of cake summoned Cole: he and Zane joined the fray.

"Hey, leave some for us!" Cole exclaimed, spinning his scythe—he'd been brushing up on his old favorite during training—and expertly slamming its shaft into the skull of some man trying to get behind him.

"Ah, c'mon Cole, you got first dibs," countered Kai. Block, block, thrust, parry—then Spinjitsu the sucker to siesta time.

"So leave some for me, then!" Zane sent his shurikens spinning in a small circle, ice following their path. Three men flailed around him at the sudden change in terrain. Zane watched them for a second. "I'm sorry, but your ice skating technique could use some work." A few carefully placed jabs and shuriken throws, and all three men were unconscious. "Much better."

"Class is dismissed!" Cole announced as he defeated his final opponent. Around them, their assailants lay either moaning or unconscious.

"Nice," Jay commented.

"Thanks—I've been waiting like a minute to say it."

Dareth popped his head out of the doorway, glancing about warily at their handiwork before joining them. "Oh man, I am so sorry about that. I had no idea they were bad guys!"

Cole sighed. "Let me guess: they showed up, impressed you with their skills, and suggested they would be a good match for us?"

"Eh, something like that, yeah. They said they wanted to show you guys up and promote my dojo as the best in Ninjago City."

"Yep, sounds about right. Well, hey, at least Sensei Wu knows we haven't gotten 'rusty' now."

"Hmm." Wu joined them, having slipped out of one of the monastery's other entrances.

"Agh!" Jay jumped. "He keeps doing that."

Kai snickered, but Wu ignored them both. "It seems unlikely this was a random occurrence—I suspect something is afoot."

"Agreed," Kai said. He glanced around at their defeated foes. "Hey, where's their boss guy? The one with gray hair?"

"We'll need to be on our guard," Zane mused. "Pixal didn't find any recognizable matches for their uniforms' insignia during her preliminary search. I doubt they were working alone, but who were they getting orders from?"

"Why from me, of course!"

Kai whipped around. The speaker stood on one of the rooftops, hands on hips, wearing black armor and a helmet with a facemask that didn't stop his cockiness from coming though.

Beside him, Dareth let out a long gasp. Kai looked over his shoulder, surprised that Dareth knew this stranger. But then again, Dareth had a tendency of surprising them when they least expected—

"Who's that, then?"

Kai groaned. _Never mind._

"Alrighty, let's get this show on the road!" called the man on the roof. Kai glanced back up in time to see a bomb plummeting towards them.

It was Jay's turn to save the day: he swatted the bomb aside before any of the others could react. It slammed into one of the monastery buildings, exploding on contact and sending rubble flying. A large, smoking piece of wall thudded in front of the ninja. Wu coughed as the smoke hit them.

"Oh—sorry!" Jay said. "I didn't—um…"

It was enough to snap them out of the air of disconnected reality that had descended with the bomb. Kai peered through the smoky haze for their attacker and glimpsed him running to another rooftop. "C'mon!" Kai called, leaping onto the rubble. "No one does that to our Sensei!"

"Let's get him!" Cole agreed, he and the others joining the pursuit.

"Be careful!" Wu called after them before coughing again. Kai spared a glance behind him; Nya had joined Wu and was using one of her war fans to clear some of the smoke away from him.

"When are we not?" Jay replied. He paused as he pulled himself over a jagged ledge. "Don't answer that; I just realized what I said."

Kai snorted at that, but otherwise remained focused on their quarry. He scrambled up the rubble to the building's roof and leaped onto another nearby roof. Their mysterious attacker was beginning to put some distance between them. Kai narrowed his eyes as he jumped rooftops after him; no way was the rogue saboteur getting away, and certainly not without answering some serious questions.

Kai reached the rooftop of much larger building, set near a stone arch in the cliffside that framed an observation tower. The black-clad samurai stood near the opposite end, a remote in one hand.

"Hey, take a look behind you! You're gonna get a blast out of this!" The stranger pushed a button and the roof of the tower blew off as several fireworks burst out.

"First he throws bombs at us and now he's using our fireworks?" Jay complained, coming up near Kai. "At least fireworks are prettier."

Kai turned to look back at Jay just as a firework shot through the narrow gap between the two ninja. "Uh, pretty dangerous, you mean!" Seriously, what was it with that guy and explosives? Several more fireworks continued to shoot toward them. Kai grit his teeth and started running forward. No point being a sitting target—

"Watch out for that firework!" Zane called from behind them. Kai saw it ahead just in time: somehow the firework'd gotten stuck in the roof but hadn't exploded yet. He turned his face aside, shielding it with an arm. And not a moment too soon. Although Kai was far away enough from the firework, he could still feel the force of the explosion and some of the heat. Including a few still smoldering pieces of debris that hit him. He swept them off quickly and darted forward before another firework could land.

"I didn't realize we had so many fireworks," said Cole. "I know Sensei wanted to stock up for a good New Year's show, but this is ridiculous! How'd that guy know about them, anyway?"

"That does seem pretty odd," Jay agreed.

Kai ducked as another firework whizzed over his head. "All the more reason to catch this guy before he gets away."

"I'll try to freeze the roof from here so no more get out," Zane cut in. "Any explosions that melt the ice should help damage the fuses in the other fireworks."

"Good idea," Cole answered. "Let's end this show and figure out what's going on."

Kai had reached the end of the roof, but the next building was a bit too high to jump to and the fireworks had made it impossible to get a running start. But between the two structures' walls and some tall rocks below, there looked to be enough foot holds to get down. He took a deep breath and moved into his Spinjitsu tornado, using the momentum for extra support in reaching the ground.

"C'mon! Keep up!" their quarry called. He'd already crossed the courtyard a level up and stood on the stairway connecting the two.

Kai groaned. What was the point of this chase for that man? Well, only one way to find out. He heard the sound of a Spinjitsu tornado behind him and looked over his shoulder to see Jay land nearby. "Cole and Zane okay?" Kai asked.

"Yep! And the fireworks are out too."

"Then let's go," Kai replied, already running to the stairs.

The samurai was waiting for them at the top, where the wooden stairs switched to stone ones—the wooden ones were temporary until they could do some more building. But Kai was much more interested in their attacker, standing with his arms slung over his chest. He spread his arms as Kai and Jay drew closer, as if to say _what took you so long_?

"This isn't a game!" Kai glared through his hood.

The man only laughed. "Trust me, it is!" He drew a red shuriken and hurled it at one of the large stone lion statues beside the stairs.

"Wow. His aim is awful," Jay muttered with a snort. "Uh, we're down here, buddy!"

The man just cocked his head, arms folded over his chest once more.

The shuriken suddenly exploded— _No surprises there_ , Kai thought—and the lion's head fell toward the stairs. The samurai took a few casual steps back as the statue bounced where he'd stood seconds before, and it began tumbling down the stairs.

"Try to stay _a-head_!" he chuckled.

"Run!" Cole called from below. Like they needed to be told twice. Or at all. The stairs shuddered with the impacts, the sound of crunching, smashing wood lending wings to his and Jay's feet. They made it to the base of the stairs in time, leaping to the side. The head hurtled off, bouncing a few more feet and making Cole and Zane jump out of the way too.

"That…was a little close," Jay panted, staring at the demolished stairs behind them. "And I take back what I said about his aim."

"Yeah, no kidding." Kai sighed at the statue in front of them. "Now how're we gonna catch him?" He glanced around the courtyard. Flanked by two of the buildings against the cliff wall sat a small shed. The narrow gap above it between the buildings was perfect for ascending, but the shed looked difficult to climb and too high for Spinjitsu. "Hey Cole, you think you can lift that thing?" He pointed at the statue's head.

"With one arm." Cole bent by the head and hoisted it up. "Okay, it took two," he groaned. He stepped closer to the shed and hurled the statue, smashing both into rubble.

"Our quarry appears to have an uncanny knowledge of the monastery's layout," mused Zane. "We should be careful—there's a high chance he's set up other traps."

"You think he's been spying on the monastery?" Jay replied as he followed Cole and Kai in leaping between the walls. "Like he's trying to lead us somewhere?"

"That's very possible."

Kai frowned at their conversation as he pulled himself over the railing that edged the small courtyard overlooking the buildings they'd just scaled. Cole was already running toward their attacker, who darted toward the opposite corner.

"Whoa, almost got me!" the man taunted, unsheathing a black katana and slicing a rope that'd been anchored to the ground. He lifted up to the structure above them while the weight the rope was attached to fell down.

"That guy is starting to annoy me," Kai muttered, narrowing his eyes at the retreating figure.

"No kidding," agreed Cole.

Jay and Zane joined them, and they spent a few more minutes climbing up to a ledge on part of a low-hanging roof to get some better handholds.

The samurai was standing at the top of the building they were about to climb, watching their progress.

"There he is, just waiting for us," Cole said. "Zane, I think you're right. That smells like a trap."

Before anyone could respond, the man pulled out another bomb and dropped it at them. "Bomb voyage!" he called down cheerfully.

The ninja scattered out of the way, and fortunately, the explosion did little more than add some cuts to them. The ledge fared far worse, a smoking hole in its center, but otherwise held.

"That doesn't even make sense!" Jay called back up. "We're not going anywhere!"

"I was talking to the bomb," retorted the man before vanishing over the side.

Kai scrambled onto the roof of yet another small courtyard. Fortunately, this part of the monastery was the highest level, so climbing any of the surrounding structures would be pointless. But to his right, there were stairs and a walkway leading to another small tower.

"You're getting warmer!" the man's voice called from the tower. Kai headed toward it, senses on the alert for more explosives, in time to see their quarry drop onto yet another roof.

 _What is this, glorified tag?_ At least that roof dead-ended in a cliff. Maybe there'd finally be enough room for them to use their dragons; all the buildings and cliffs made it too tight to navigate.

"…And now you're about to get really hot!" the samurai announced as Kai and the others started toward him on the rooftop. He activated a flamethrower on his wrist—A _flamethrower_?!—and blasted a rope on the ground beside him. The flames surged forward, devouring the rope.

"That's a fuse!" Jay exclaimed.

"That…looks ominous," agreed Zane.

The ninja tensed, trying to keep an eye on both the fuse's path and the stranger. The fuse paralleled the roof, moving back toward the buildings they'd just left.

And then a huge firework burst out of the tower behind them.

"Now _that_ is a firework," Jay gaped. "Sensei has good taste. Except for the part where all his fireworks become giant deathtraps for us!"

"Yes, where is it going?" Zane asked, staring intently at the firework as it shot into the air. "Hold on, Pixal is calculating the trajectory…"

"Let's not stick around to find out, huh?" replied Cole. He started jogging across the roof toward their assailant. Kai spared a glance at the sky and followed. They were so close…

Once again, the samurai proved elusive, laughing and shooting a grappling gun to the top of the cliff behind them and flying out of the ninjas' reach as Kai and Cole tried to close the gap between them.

"Cole! Kai! Stop! That firework's about to—"

Zane's words were cut off by the firework hurtling out of the air right toward the spot their quarry had been.

Kai only had enough time to shove Cole behind him. Then the firework smashed in front of them, erupting on impact and exploding the roof.

* * *

In all his years as a dark magician, Clouse had never seen the Cursed Realm. Not that he'd ever needed or desired to: the swirling vortex that sucked his hapless targets in suited his interest just fine. Or had, anyway, until Garmadon managed to escape the draw of the vortex and sent Clouse to take his fate instead.

Dreary described the surroundings well. The only change in the gloomy sky over the time he'd been trapped here so far came from its degree of overcastness, ranging from a light gray to pitch black storm clouds roiling with a deep, shimmering blue-green that cast an eerie light. Any grass growing was a green-black, the ground in various shades of brown, gray, and black. Trees kept the subdued color scheme in their leaves and bark as well. Occasionally, he glimpsed a bright color—pink swirls in some dark purple and teal mushrooms, scarlet spots on the back of a lizard, and the bold blue of inky lemonberries—but these were far less common.

Nor was the Cursed Realm unpopulated. He'd come across the odd building or even village with small plots of land managing to grow crops. Animals lived here too: he could hear the cries of birds throughout the day, along with the occasional howl of more predatory creatures at night.

Clouse worked to avoid both humans and animals alike. Although the Cursed Realm overall appeared quiet, he had Cursed a fair amount of people here. And while he could handle himself well in a fight, he had no desire to go looking for trouble. He was skilled, not stupid.

Ahead of him, the trees opened into a clearing dominated by a large stone building, possibly the largest he'd seen so far. It looked…ancient, moss covering the roughly square pyramid and several of its narrow windows. He crept closer, curious but wary. Better to assume the place had occupants and avoid it until he learned more.

He'd been a fool not to listen to Rako about this. He could picture the boy, green eyes earnest with concern. _"But what if you get Cursed one day? You said yourself that sometimes spells go wrong."_ And he'd just raised his eyebrows in amusement at Rako's idea. He'd Cursed several before Rako'd even been born and he'd Cursed many since.

Arrogance. And that was how that irritating traitor Garmadon had bested him. Clouse forced himself to relax fists that had started to clench. Well, he might have been foolish then, but would not be now. He need information, badly, and this fort or temple or what have you could be swarming with enemies inside. He just wished he had a good way to mark its location to investigate later.

He turned to quietly leave when he felt it.

There was magic here, surrounding the complex and, as he took a moment to properly take in his surroundings, subtly throughout the forest as well.

Clouse glanced back at the building warily. So had he chanced upon this place or been subconsciously drawn? Still, he couldn't help but savor the power lingering in the air. Ninjago had so few of these hotspots.

Reluctantly, he turned his back on the building again. Magic or not, he was too vulnerable, too ignorant where knowledge might make all the difference in survival—

He was not alone.

Clouse tensed, pulling his magic to the surface and straining his senses for the whereabouts of the other.

No, others. _Move!_

He leapt forward as something swished past him, muttering a quick spell under his breath that sent the object back in the direction it'd been thrown.

He could make out a few dark-robed figures around the edge of the clearing. As one leapt forward with a spear, Clouse chanted another spell that sent the surrounding tree limbs reaching for attackers. Hopefully that would keep them busy, because the spearman was upon him. He dodged a thrust and launched a roundhouse kick that knocked the spear out of his assailant's hands. Clouse grabbed the spear, already ducking as another spearman lunged at him, and rolled out of the way to let a spinning bola trap his next foe. Chancing a glance over his shoulder, he noticed the enchanted trees had trapped two men and were delaying a couple more. Blast, how many was he up against?

Magic swarmed the air around him, the grass at his feet swaying and beginning to lengthen and thicken, working to encircle him like his trees' limbs. Clouse fired off a volley of words and the grass tendrils turned their attention outward, creating his own protective circle. Then he was snapping his stolen spear up behind him, blocking the person sneaking up on him and sending the grass vines to bind the man's feet.

How many more attackers were there? How many more magic users lurking in the trees? How long would he have to keep this up? Were they defending the pyramid or after him personally? Too many blasted unknowns.

Clouse ran, conjuring a shield of dark magic to watch his back, figuring he could draw them out in the surrounding forest and even the odds a bit—

 _Wham._

Pain exploded in the side of his head. He crumpled, his vision dissolving into flashes of light that quickly faded to black, drawing the sorcerer with it.

* * *

A/N: So here's hoping that you all like Rako so far! ^-^ And the chapter as a whole, of course. ;P

And yay for lore, eh? The splitting of Ninjago is my way of addressing the confusing "Ninjago is ancient"/"Ninjago is new" vibes the show tosses at us. If you want a very rough feel of the Cursed Realm's vibe, google "Skyrim Soul Cairn." And for any Avatar: The Last Airbender fans -yes, I guess the First Spinjitsu Master is practically Avatar Kyoshi.

A huge, huge shoutout for whoever "packattack04082" is on YouTube; their walk through videos of _Shadow of Ronin_ with subtitles have been an invaluable aid.

On a side note, I randomly flipped through one of the Ninjago comics a couple months back and came across Flintlocke suggesting they keelhaul the ninja! I am suitably impressed that Lego allowed this. Nadakhan's pirates are an actual threat! Not that Nadakhan needed to be more of a threat, haha.

In other news, I've posted a drawing of Morro (link should be up on my profile but midnightshadowrider()deviantart()com/art/Disarm-661608899 if you want to type it) and will be working to get a Rako piece uploaded so you can get a sense of him. Also, I posted a Ninjago oneshot some months ago called "Moving In" if you're interested. Definitely open to some random oneshot ideas/plot bunnies for that! But I gotta finish a thesis this summer first...

I'm definitely not planning to have such a huge break before the next chapter, but if you're curious about where in the writing process a chapter is, I'm keeping an up-to-date status line on my profile. Next chapter, expect resolved cliffhangers and some more characters from the show making their appearance!

Thanks for reading!


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